The Indigo Connection
by Kissy Fishy
Summary: Giovanni has achieved Champion status in the Indigo League, and is taking over by use of Legendaries. Ash must stop him, or never see his home again. Sequel to Cold Blooded Killers.
1. Chapter 1

***This story is a sequel to _Cold Blooded Killers,_ a story I recently finished. If you are interested in this one, I recommend you read that one first, otherwise nothing will make sense. This is AU, like its predecessor. Enjoy!***_  
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_The Indigo Connection  
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_One_

The trees were alive with forest life. Creatures could be heard, making unearthly calls. Giant insects flew overhead, occasionally chased by the equally huge bird. The lake water was anything but still, with fish jumping more often than was natural.

Misty scowled at Drew's face, deep in thought. "May," she said suddenly, holding out her hand. "Bandana, please." The cloth item was dropped in her palm, and Misty soaked it in the lake water. She pulled Drew closer and began dabbing at his face with the wet bandana.

"Am I going to live, doc?" Drew asked, wincing. The scratches on his face from Cynthia's vicious nails stung like mad, and although Misty was doing her best, it was not helping.

"Not unless we cut it off," Misty growled. She was focused intently on her dabbing, her eyes not leaving Drew's bloody face.

Ash shook his head. "This is stupid. We need to find a town, or city, or _something._ We'll all die out here if we don't."

"How do you know there's town nearby?" Gary snapped. He held out his hand. "Besides, I found these things. They're edible, right?"

Cautious, Ash peered at Gary's finding. It looked like a strawberry, but it was bigger than any berry he had ever seen back home. He grinned at his friend. "Sure, they're edible," he said villainously.

"We do need shelter," Leaf agreed. The pain from the bullet wound in her leg had subsided, and she was gingerly walking around. "If there's a town nearby, that would be great."

"Ack!" Gary screamed, causing everyone to stare at him. He dropped the berry, repulsed. "What _is_ that?"

"Taste good?" Ash asked sweetly.

"Why didn't you tell me it was disgusting?" cried Gary.

Ash laid back in the grass, smiling. "You only asked me if they were edible, not how they tasted." He glanced at Gary, all joking aside. "They're meant for Pokemon. They have special properties that help Pokemon in battles. They're not poisonous to humans, but you wouldn't eat dog food, would you?"

Suddenly, the bushes rustled. Ash sat up, alert, and Misty paused in her face dabbing. Something was crashing through the undergrowth, and from Ash's experience, it was not always friendly.

"Oof!" someone shouted, and with a magnificent crash, a boy fell into their clearing. "Ow," he groaned.

Ash blinked. "Who are you?" he demanded.

The boy jumped to his feet, trying to appear intimidating. "The question is not who am I, but who are _you!_" he shouted. The dirt on his face did not help his act, nor did the scarf or his tight gray pants. He had a satchel slung over his shoulder, and his blond hair was spiked up in the oddest of ways.

The boy's demand was greeted by silence.

He seemed to have a seizure of disbelief. "What the—? If you guys don't answer, I'll have to fine you!" He looked at his watch. "You have ten seconds to pay up! Ten nine eight seven si—."

"Would you shut up?" Misty cried incredulously.

The boy blinked at her, then suddenly straightened up as if in the military. "Yes, of course, sorry," he blubbered.

Misty stared at him a moment longer, still unable to comprehend exactly how much he had spoken, before returning to Drew's injuries. Ash folded his arms and stepped forward. "Is there a town nearby?" he asked.

His question seemed to confuse the boy. "Yeah, you're like half a mile from it." He jerked his thumb back the way he had come. "I'll take you, if you want."

"Please," Gary said.

The boy brightened immediately. "Alright, everyone! Let's get a move on! Twinleaf Town, onwards!" He gave an exaggerated wave of his arm and marched away.

Ash exchanged a look with Misty, who glared daggers at him for getting them involved with this obnoxious kid.

Dawn stood and went to May. "You recognize him, right?" she asked. "It's not my imagination?"

"No, no, it's definitely him," May said. "No mistaking that voice."

"Same scarf and everything," Leaf added. She grabbed Gary's arm for support as they hobbled after the rambunctious teen.

"What are you talking about?" questioned Ash.

"It's Barry," Misty replied, helping Drew to his feet. She gestured to the blond kid as he marched away. "He goes to school with us."

"He did," Dawn corrected. "Just after school got out, he drowned in the lake."

May gaped. "He did?"

"My mom and his dad were really good friends," said Dawn. "I was at the funeral."

"Hey!" yelled Barry, far ahead of them. "Are you coming or what?"

The group could only stare at him. "A dead kid, alive in another world," Drew said quietly. He spoke up. "Gary!"

"I'm working on it," Gary told him. His eyes were unfocused, lost in the hundreds of theories racing through his brain.

Barry waited impatiently as they caught up, his arms folded. "Come on, come on!" he urged as they neared. "If you guys aren't here in ten seconds, I'm going to have to fine you!"

"Hey, no fair!" Ash yelled back, and he began running to catch up.

"Why must we run?" complained Misty.

Dawn was still staring at Barry in shock. "I was so mean to him," she whispered. "And now he's alive again."

"I remember him being in love with you," Leaf remarked, leaning on Gary, who was completely lost in thought.

"He was annoying," May remembered.

Dawn hardly heard either of them. "I should try to be nice to him this time."

"So Barry," Ash began, already caught up. "Do you have any Pokemon?"

Barry turned his eager grin on him. "Do I! Check these guys out!" He plunged his hand into his satchel and produced six pokeballs, three in each hand. "Come on, guys, let's show them what we've got!"

He threw all the balls in the air. They broke open in the sky, releasing six huge creatures. Each said their respective cry, then looked to Barry for instructions.

"Oh my God," gasped Leaf, and she accidentally put weight on her injured leg. It buckled, making her fall and bringing Gary down with her.

They were some of the biggest Pokemon Ash had ever seen, and he had seen quite a few. "Ladies and gentlemen," Barry began, obviously proud, "allow me to introduce my team. This is Empoleon." He gestured to the enormous, armored penguin before moving over to the huge gray bird. "And Staraptor. This is Roserade," the dainty plant with white hair, "Heracross," a funny blue bug thing, "Skarmory," a vicious-looking metal bird, "and Hitmonlee," a brown creature with no mouth. Barry himself turned and gave them a thrilled look. "They're the strongest team in all of Sinnoh!"

Ash frowned. "How many badges do you have?" he asked.

"I'm already lost," Misty stated.

Barry got a proud expression on his face. "Seven," he proclaimed. "But as soon as I beat Fantina, I'll have all eight and then I can go straight to the Pokemon League and challenge Cynthia!"

Drew did a double take. "Wait, _what?_"

Barry stared at him as if he had come from another planet. "Cynthia," he repeated slowly. "The Champion of Sinnoh? Only female Champion in the world?" He reached into his bag and pulled out a magazine. "This is her."

And there was Cynthia, looking beautiful and kind of happy, smiling at them from the cover.

Gary gaped. "You're kidding me," he murmured.

"You have a women's cosmetics magazine?" Misty questioned.

Barry stuffed the magazine back in his bag, blushing furiously. "W-well sometimes they… they have good hair tips and… yeah, you know, I like to… keep my skin clear and stuff." He immediately got defensive. "What does it matter to you, anyways!" he huffed.

Misty backed off. "Sorry," she said, clearly not meaning it.

"Anyways," Barry started again, regaining his composure. "Do you have any Pokemon, what's-your-face?"

"My name is Ash," Ash told him, smiling. He kinda liked this kid. He was quirky and probably gay, but he was funny. "And yeah, I do, but they're all hurt right now. I'd like to take them to a nurse so I can heal them."

"Oh okay," Barry said. "We'll take them to Professor Rowan and he will get them all fixed up for you."

Drew turned to stare at Gary. They had seen Rowan die not even an hour ago. Another dead person walking in this world? Was it possible it was not the same Rowan?

They walked for a short time, Barry babbling the entire way. Dawn listened to him, kindly replying when it was needed. Ash also paid attention to him, asking questions about the Pokemon world and the sorts of Pokemon he had. The others were left to lag behind, trying to keep up with both their pace and conversation.

"Twinleaf Town?" May read as they approached the wooden sign. It had been painted at one point, but was now faded and cracked. The quaint houses beyond it were similar, their colors earthy and soft.

"This is where I live," Barry stated with pride. "My house is that one, right there." He pointed animatedly. Suddenly, his face lit up. "After we talk to Professor Rowan, you guys should come over for dinner! My mom makes the _best_ spaghetti!"

Ash grinned back with just as much excitement. "That sounds great!"

Misty exchanged a look with Drew. "Does he seem even more… you know, since he got his memory back?" she asked.

"Unfortunately," Drew admitted.

"He's always been more out for fun than anything else," Gary added before retreating back to his thoughts.

Barry could not have looked happier at Ash's answer. "All right!" he exclaimed, and then acquired a tense pose. "I'll race you to the lab," he said to Ash. "Lose, and I'll fine you for ten thousand poké!"

"But I don't know where—," Ash began.

"GO!" shouted Barry, and in a haze of dust he was gone.

Ash screamed after him, "Hey, no fair!" and he too was gone in a flash.

"And how old are they?" sighed Misty. She folded her arms and started following them, with everyone else in tow.

* * *

><p>Professor Rowan's lab was incredibly modern for its natural-looking outside. Glistening white tiles made up the floor, while expensive equipment lined the walls. Ash was reminded of Richardson's lab, the lab they had broken into to steal the greatest weapon of all—and failed.<p>

"Professor!" Barry called, waving exuberantly despite the man being only ten feet away. "I've met some new friends that need your help."

The professor spun in his seat, and Ash's heart stopped.

It was Rowan. The old man looked exactly the same, his eyes still holding that steely glint. "Oh?" he said. "Who might they be?"

"This is Ash," Barry introduced. "And this…" his enthusiasm fell as he realized he did not know everyone's name, "is everyone else."

"It's him," Drew said quietly.

"I know that, Drew," snapped Gary.

"Who is he?" Leaf wondered.

Gary leaned closer to her so as not to be overheard. "He was a professor at the Company. We watched Cynthia kill him not even an hour ago."

Professor Rowan stroked his beard thoughtfully. "What is it that you need?"

Ash stepped forward. "I need help healing my Pokemon," he declared.

"Why not go to a Center?" Rowan suggested. "No Nurse Joys here."

Ash visibly stiffened. His body language confirmed what everyone else thought. The boy did not know what a Center was. "Uh…" he began, "what?"

It was as if Barry's spine had become a Bendaroo, how quickly he sagged with despair. "You don't know what a Center is?" he said hopelessly. "My God, where have you been living?"

"Yeah, Ash, weren't you sent here to gather information on this world?" Gary jeered.

"It's been a while, okay?" Ash said defensively. "Besides, I just got back two years worth of memories. You can't expect me to remember everything!"

Rowan rolled his eyes, clearly not interested in their conversation. "Anyways," he continued, "I'll do my best for your Pokemon." He held out his hands. "Bring them here."

Ash reached into his pocket and jumped. More than three. He only had three Pokemon. Why were there more balls than that in his pocket?

Carefully, he pulled them out. He recognized Pikachu, Charizard, and Bayleef, but there were three more that he did not recognize. Ash stared at them.

"What's the matter?" Rowan asked, not interested in the least.

Ash held up the three alien pokeballs. "These aren't mine." He glanced at them again. "Wonder what they are." And then, he pressed the buttons on all three of them.

"Wait, stop!" cried the professor.

Suddenly, the room was very crowded. A Magmortar stood in the center of the room, glowing orange and not looking pleased. Next to it, an injured Torterra lay, barely able to make its cry. Finally, there was a great black and blue cat that moved too quickly for anyone to really get a good look at.

"They're Paul's," Drew said, realization dawning on his face.

"Paul has _these?_" shrieked Dawn in terror. Any one of them could eat her penguin for a light snack.

Gary frowned. "But where did the cat come from?"

"Whoa!" Barry shouted, thrilled. "Look at that Luxray! And what a stunning Magmortar! That Torterra though, it needs some help. Professor!"

Rowan jumped to the ground, examining the giant turtle worriedly. "Oh dear," he murmured. He looked at Ash. "Return it. The ball will freeze its condition for now, but we need a nurse here. Barry," he said, turning to the blond boy, "fly these Pokemon to Sandgem Town. They have a Center there."

Barry saluted. "Yes sir!" he exclaimed. Ash hurried to return the Pokemon and stuff all six balls into Barry's satchel. "I'll meet you guys there." And he ran out of the lab.

"He's going to fly?" said Dawn. "Fly how?"

"Oh, he'll take Skarmory," Rowan answered. "It's faster than Staraptor."

"Wait, you mean he's going to ride a _Pokemon?_" Drew cried in disbelief.

Rowan cast his weary gaze at Drew, unable to retort to the boy's ignorance. "Yes," he sighed. "And we will take a car." He went to his desk and opened a drawer, pulling out a set of keys. "Let's go."

They raced out of the lab, following the old man outside and around the house. An ivy covered garage door took up a portion of the back of the house. Rowan gripped the handles on the outside and heaved. The door groaned in protest, as if angered to have its sleep disturbed. Ash and Drew took over for the old professor, lifting the door with little resistance.

The car inside was in similar shape. A thin layer of dust had settled on it, masking the red paint. Rowan wiped off a section of the windshield with his hand and hopped in the driver's seat. As the others piled into the car, he cranked the key in the ignition. It sputtered and coughed, despite how new the inside looked. The relatively nice car apparently did not get out much.

"Got it!" Rowan exclaimed joyfully, and the car pulled out of the garage with a healthier vroom than expected.

Something watched the group drive away from the small town. She hovered quietly amongst the trees, her great yellow eyes observing them carefully. She had felt them arrive. Everyone had. They obviously had great power, to able to just appear like they did. And yet…

They seemed like ordinary humans. The small creature could not understand it. How were they hiding so much power from her? Surely she, of all Pokemon, would be able to see it. And she had to analyze them, find out if they were a threat, or a potential ally.

But they held nothing extraordinary. She was sure.

So why did she think they could help?

***AN: Voila, my lovely readers, voila. I hope you all enjoy this one as much as the last, since there will be much more Pokemon battles and Dawn being awesome and Ash kicking butt like he does. See you guys soon, alright?***


	2. Chapter 2

_Two_

The Center was a big, orange building with lots of windows. Inside, a pink haired woman that the former employees of the Company recognized as Nurse Joy ran back and forth behind the counter. Barry was seated on one of the orange couches, twiddling his thumbs for lack of something better to do.

"Barry!" Ash called, charging through the automatic doors. "Is Torterra going to be okay?"

Nurse Joy froze. She turned slowly, her eyes glinting with rage. "Are you the one that did this to it?" she hissed.

Ash's eyes widened at her expression. "What? No! They're not mine, they're my friend's."

"What about that Charizard, hm?" she went on, practically shaking. "What happened to it?"

"A Charizard?" gasped Barry with delight.

Ash grimaced. "It got in a fight with a Garchomp," he admitted.

Nurse Joy clenched her fists and stalked away. "Might as well stay here," she snapped. "It's going to be a long night." She disappeared into the back room.

Barry jumped up, his face the definition of eagerness. "You have a _Charizard?_" he said wondrously. "I am so jealous!"

"Which one is Charizard?" Dawn questioned.

"The orange dragon," Gary told her.

"Where did you get it?" Barry went on. "I mean, Charmanders are rare, even in Kanto, and how could you have raised a _Charizard_ without knowing what a Center is?" His eyes grew big. "Did you steal it?"

Ash was taken aback. "What? No, I didn't steal it. I…" He struggled to remember. "I found him. As a Charmander. He'd been abandoned."

"That's so sad!" cried the blond boy. "I would never abandon my Pokemon. Not ever." He stood up and stretched. "I'm going to call my mom, let her know we're staying here."

May looked at Ash questioningly. "We can just stay here?"

Ash nodded. "I think these Centers are like rest stops for traveling Trainers. Most of the time, staying the night is free, and you get your Pokemon healed." He looked around and realized everyone was listening, minus Barry at the video phone. "Trainers travel to each city, challenging Gym Leaders, like in the Company," he said to Gary and Drew. "Eventually, they challenge the Champion, and if they win, they become Champion."

"So people just train Pokemon to fight other Pokemon?" Dawn asked.

"Pretty much, yeah," Ash confirmed.

Dawn sat back and folded her arms. "How is this world better than ours?"

"Every world has its flaws," said Leaf. She tapped Gary on the shoulder. "There has to be a doctor around here or something, and I want this bullet out of my leg."

"You should go too," May said to Drew. "Get your face fixed."

Drew nodded absently. "Okay," he complied. He rose to his feet and beckoned Leaf. "Hey nurse!" he called.

Nurse Joy's head appeared from the back room, scowling angrily. "_What?_" she cried.

"Is there a human doctor nearby?"

"Yeah, he's down that way." Joy pointed to the left. "The place is kinda small, so look carefully." She disappeared again.

Drew shrugged, reaching up to scratch his face but stopping short, remembering the cuts. "Alright. See you guys later." He extended his arm to Leaf and helped her up. The two left the Center, Drew helping Leaf walk.

Barry came back over and sat down. "Where are they going?" he asked.

"The doctor," Dawn told him.

"Oh yeah," Barry remembered. "They were really hurt, weren't they?" He shrugged. "Anyways, we have to sleep out here on the couches, because the rooms upstairs are all full."

"Wonderful," Misty grumbled. "Public couches. My favorite."

* * *

><p>The eight of them were set up on the couch, wrapped in blankets Nurse Joy had dug out of the backroom of the Center. Ash was still awake, listening to his friends toss and turn on the couches. They were not sleeping well, he could tell. It was their first night in a completely different world, and they had all lost something only hours ago. He could hear May crying in her sleep, murmuring things about her father. The sound of it pained him.<p>

Ash remembered this world like a dream. He got fragments of memories with his Pokemon by his side, traversing the region and documenting every creature he saw. Not this region, though. He had not been in charge of the Sinnoh branch. No, that had been Lucas.

The thought of the other Trainer sparked curiosity in Ash. What had happened to Lucas? Had they blanked him too and shipped him off to a different branch? Or had the young Trainer met with a worse fate?

Ash blinked as he gazed at the ceiling. And what about Lyra from the Johto branch, or Brendan from Hoenn, or the twins from the Unova branch? What had become of them? Were they all as lucky as Ash was, or were they killed off in fear of the knowledge they held?

A sudden noise made Ash sit up. He gazed around the dark Center, alert for any sort of movement. Nothing except for the sleeping forms on the couch stirred.

Shaking his head, Ash laid back down. He was getting paranoid. Why would there be anyone here to kill him in a completely different universe? He allowed himself a chuckle and closed his eyes. Really, he should just relax.

Another sound, and his eyes snapped open. He flew into an upright position, and found himself face to face with something… pink.

Ash recoiled and scrambled away, his eyes wide. "What _is_ that?" he gasped.

"'That' is a creature with feelings," the thing retorted. It put its short gray arms on its nonexistent hips and glared at him with great yellow eyes. "Actually, 'that' is _the_ creature of feelings, so you'd better watch it."

Ash stared at it. It was perhaps a foot tall, with two long tails and funny pink ears, if they were ears. It floated in the air before him, looking insulted. "Um…" he began.

"Look, let's just cut to the chase," the thing interrupted. "I am Mesprit."

Again, the young Trainer stared at it. "Uh huh," he said finally.

Mesprit looked like she doubted his ability to even think. "I'm a Legendary Pokemon. Does that ring a bell?"

Ash blinked. Yes, he remembered Legendaries. They were the reason he was sent into the Pokemon World, to research such beasts. "Yes, I know what those are," he told her.

"Great!" Mesprit said, her tone falsely thrilled. "So, I have been elected by the Hall of Origin to represent said council to deliver this message to the one most voted to be what we seek." She recited this as if it bored her, and was something she wanted out of the way. "The Legendaries request you, oh human from another world, to assist us in our darkest hour."

Ash was about to reply, but he stopped short as the magnitude of what the floating mouse had said hit him. "What?" he finally replied.

Mesprit rolled her eyes. "Basically, we need your help."

A look of confusion came over the boy's face. "I'm not sure I see—."

"We need you to go to the Kanto region and kill someone, _capiche?_" the Legendary snapped.

"You need me to _kill_ someone?" Ash cried incredulously.

"Catch on fast, don't cha?" Mesprit folded her little arms across her chest. "So will you do it?"

Ash gaped at her. "No!" he exclaimed, as if this were obvious.

"But this was your job back wherever you're from, right?" Mesprit argued.

"Well, yeah, but—." He broke off. "How did you know?"

Mesprit shrugged. "Arceus knows everything."

"Who the hell is Arceus!"

"Look!" Mesprit was suddenly inches from his face, fury contorting her features. "In Kanto, there's a man called Giovanni who has taken over the League. He's capturing Legendaries and using—."

"Whoa!" Ash exclaimed, pushing her back. "Did you say Giovanni? Tall guy in a mafia suit?"

"I don't know what this mafia suit is but yes, that's the one," Mesprit confirmed.

Ash gazed at her quizzically. "He's taken over the Indigo League?"

"Yes!" the Pokemon shouted, rejoicing in his comprehension. "And he's using Legendaries to expand his power."

"But Indigo is a joint League," Ash responded. "Being Champion there gives him influence in both Johto _and_ Kanto." He looked up at Mesprit. "Can't the people revolt?"

The creature rolled her eyes again. "That's why he's got the Legendaries," she explained, frustrated. "Holy Hall, what was the average IQ in your world? Four?"

Ash ignored the last part of what she said. "So you want my help," he reiterated, "so all the Legendaries can run free again?"

"Pretty much!" Mesprit replied happily.

Ash narrowed his eyes at her. "What's in it for me?"

Mesprit matched his glare, her tone low and serious. "You left people behind in that world, am I right?" she said. "Left them in danger." The creature put on a twisted smile at Ash's guilty face. "In return for your service to the Hall of Origin and all those in it," she recited, "the Legendaries will grant you use of their portals. You may return to your world, or retrieve anyone you so wish to bring here to ours." A steely glint showed in her eyes. "Do we have a deal?"

Ash could not look at her. Killing Giovanni, the man who had hunted him for _years,_ would be hard—not to mention dangerous—especially if he had the help of Legendaries on his side.

But then there was the prize if he succeeded. He could save Paul. And his mother, as they wouldn't let her live. And if time travel was permitted (it was a big if) he could maybe save Norman too.

The prize was too tempting. Ash looked up at the Legendary with his face and mind set. "Deal."

* * *

><p>Barry was snoring softly, a line of drool running from his mouth, when Ash woke him up. The blond boy jumped up with a yelp, his eyes wide. "Who woke me up!" he demanded. "I'll fine them—!"<p>

"Barry!" Ash interrupted.

Blinking, Barry looked up. Ash was standing over him, with the other six friends behind him. On his belt were the six pokeballs. "I need to get to Kanto," Ash continued, his eyes burning. "Now."

***AN: Yes, it's short. But this chapter hated me. And it feels... lame. So I'm sorry that it sucks. **

**Rogue Ninja: I completely agree. The sad thing is, I knew it was lacking in emotion, and I still wasn't able to do anything until you mentioned it. It got me thinking, and that's why chapter 3 is currently being written in a totally awesome way. So THANK YOU! I'm so glad you said that!***


	3. Chapter 3

_Three_

Misty stared at the boat, stunned. She had been on boats more often than the average high school student, and thought she had seen some pretty big ones.

Nope. Not even close.

She could not call it a boat. It was a ship, through and through. Its tall white sides reached up so high it hurt her neck to look at the top. Windows dotted the sides, keeping the traditional porthole style, though Misty doubted they needed to. The name painted on the ship's hull appeared to be some strange made-up word, but it was intimidating all the same.

"Kyogre," she read in an awed voice.

"They travel mainly by boat here," Ash said from beside her, making her jump. Misty had completely forgotten he was there. The knowing look in his amber eyes made her scowl. "Believe it or not, these things go faster than sixty knots."

Misty narrowed her eyes at him. "Yeah right," she replied. "I _know_ about seafaring vessels. Something this big would never go over twenty."

Ash shrugged. "Alright," he said, smirking.

The redhead glared at him. He would not fight her on this, but the look on his face was enough to rile her up again. "Are you just being smug because you think you're right?"

Ash glanced at her before returned his gaze to the ship. If it was a fight she wanted, it was a fight she would get. "I _know_ I'm right, Misty."

"And _I_ know I'll set my giant snake on you if you don't wipe that smirk off your face."

His smile only grew. "It's called a Gyarados."

"The hell it is."

"Are they arguing just for the sake of arguing?" Leaf wondered. She was leaning heavily on her right leg, grasping Gary for support.

Gary shrugged. "Probably." He turned to the blond boy on his right. "Are you coming on the boat with us?"

Barry jumped at being addressed. "Huh? Me? Oh, no, I'm… I'm not going to Kanto," he said. His energy was significantly less than before.

"You're not coming?" Dawn asked, and her expression was sad. Gary wondered how she could have grown attached to the boy so quickly. Then he remembered there was a Barry in their world, one who had died. "Why not?"

Barry put on a nervous smile. "Oh, you know, it's kinda… far away and I can't make that sort of trip at the current time so… yeah."

"Lying through his teeth," Drew mumbled.

"Yep," Gary agreed quietly.

"The ship is boarding soon," Professor Rowan said. He approached them from his car, a box in his hand. "Ash, come here a moment."

Ash looked up from his fight with Misty. "What is it?" he questioned, joining them. Misty gaped at him, clearly outraged by the last thing he had said.

Rowan grabbed one of the devices and held it up. "Pokedexes. I wasn't sure if any of you had one, so I thought I would bring some for you guys."

"Pokedexes?" Ash looked confused.

"It's a device for documenting Pokemon," Rowan explained. "It identifies any Pokemon you see, gives you a full summary of the individual and the species, and can inform you about moves and other abilities." The professor placed it in his hands.

Ash stared at the plastic red object. "Two years of studying this world," he said, "and the whole time there was a Gameboy with all the information we needed right here." He paused. "Being given away for _free,_ of course."

"Well yes, every Trainer gets one," Rowan told him. "Where are you from again?"

"Dibs on the green one," Drew called, snatching it from the box.

"I wanted green," Leaf complained. She reached in the box. "Here Dawn, this one's pink."

The blunette fumbled to catch the device, completely distracted. "Oh," she said.

"Blue," Misty and Gary said at the same time. Misty glared him down, however, and won.

"May, there's an orange one here," Leaf said, waving it at her friend. "Do you want it?"

May accepted it quietly. She hardly glanced at it before sliding it in her pocket.

Gary found another blue one, a darker shade than Misty's, and Leaf took the second green one. "Alright," Gary said, flipping open the cover of his Pokedex. "Are we ready to go?"

"Looks like it." Ash gazed up at Professor Rowan, feeling his stomach drop a little. The professor he knew was dead, from a bullet Cynthia fired. He swallowed the memories and forced a smile. "Thank you," he said. "For everything."

The old man shrugged, smiling behind his beard. "No trouble at all," he replied. "Come on, Barry. Let's get you home."

"Aw, but I want to stay in Canalave for a bit!" Barry protested. Rowan did not reply, making Barry pout. He turned to the teenagers standing behind them. "Well, guess I'll see you guys later." He smiled, though it seemed uncertain. "You be careful in Kanto, okay?"

"What's wrong in Kanto?" Ash demanded.

Barry blinked. "What? Nothing! Nothing… nothing's wrong in Kanto. Just… be careful." He pivoted around, but Dawn stopped him.

Dawn rushed forward and pulled him into a hug, much to Barry's confusion. "Bye," she whispered.

Barry was at a loss for words. "Um…" he tried, confused. He pulled away from her embrace, removing her arms from around him. "Okay." Barry gave her a pat on the head. "Nice… meeting you." He turned around and hurried after Rowan, glancing back at Dawn with an unnerved expression.

"What was that about?" asked Drew.

Dawn spun around to face them, showing her tears. "Nothing," she said quietly. "Let's go." She hurried to the boat, clambering the steps up at a rapid pace.

The others watched her go. "Is she alright?" Ash wondered.

"It's probably tearing her up inside," May murmured. "Seeing Barry here without him recognizing her."

"Especially since she went to his funeral," Leaf added. "She must feel so conflicted."

Suddenly, a loud, deafening horn sounded from somewhere on the boat. "All aboard!" someone shouted.

Ash looked at the ship. "We'd better go, or we're going to miss it."

* * *

><p>"We should be there by tomorrow," Leaf stated. The four girls were in their cabin, two to a bed. Leaf was sitting next to Misty, who was examining her Pokedex. Every time she pressed a button, it made an obnoxious beep. "At least, that's what the captain said. I don't know how far we're going."<p>

"I hate it here," May said suddenly. She was lying on the bed, staring angrily at the ceiling. Dawn was beside her, crying silently. "It's weird and strange and Misty what the _hell_ are you doing?"

Misty rolled her eyes over to glare at May. "I'm going through the Pokedex," she replied, waving the device for emphasis.

"Well stop," snapped May. "It's annoying."

"If we're going to be stuck here, we might as well learn about this world!" Misty replied heatedly. She got to her feet. "I'm leaving."

May sat up and glared at her as she stalked out the door. "Sorry if I'm not cheery about this!" May called, sarcasm oozing from her words. "Not like my father just _died_ or anything!" The mention of Norman made May's next retort catch in her throat. She felt her eyes burn, and wished she hadn't brought him up. "Oh God," she sobbed.

"No, no, May, it's okay!" Leaf insisted. She rose from her bed and floated to her friend's side, wrapped her arms around her. "It's going to be just fine here. I promise. I mean, you have Drew, don't you?"

"Drew is a _murderer,_" May hissed. "All of them are. We… we can't stay with them. We never should have gotten mixed up in this mess." Her eyes flashed. "We should leave the first chance we get."

Leaf hesitated. May was right. She searched for the right words, wondering what could possibly make this right, but there was nothing. Nothing that wouldn't hurt. Leaf sighed and closed her eyes. Maybe if she didn't see May's face, it would be easier. "Your father was too," she murmured.

May stood so fast Leaf hardly knew what had happened. "He was _not,_" May said, her voice barely above a whisper. "My father loved me, and my brother, and my mom, and he would _never_ do anything like that to us. Never!" With that, she stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

Leaf sighed and looked over at Dawn, still lying on the bed and not looking at her. "Do you want to yell at me too?" she asked.

"No," Dawn mumbled. She rolled over, revealing her tear streaked face and swollen eyes. "But I want to ask you something."

Curious, Leaf scooted closer to her. Leaf was the best listener, and they all knew it.

Dawn sighed quietly. "Where was my mom?"

This took Leaf by surprise. "Uh… what?"

"My mom," Dawn repeated. "She wasn't in Twinleaf Town."

Leaf stared at her. "Was she supposed to be?" she inquired cautiously. If Dawn was already going crazy after one day, the rest of them were doomed.

Dawn suddenly sat up. "_Yes,_ and so was I! Barry… he should have _recognized_ me as the other universe me. His dad and my mom were best friends growing up. We lived right next door to each other." She paused, her eyes sparkling. "So what went wrong?"

For once, Leaf, the girl who knew everything, had no idea what to say. "Um…" she began. She blinked. And frowned. And went into full knowledge mode. "I have no idea, but I know someone who would." She jumped up. "Come on, Dawn, let's go see Ash."

"You really think he would know?" said Dawn, lacking faith entirely. "He just regained—what, two years of memories?"

"Don't be so pessimistic," Leaf chided. "Maybe there are other Leafs and Mistys and Mays in this world." Her eyes sparkled. "Maybe another Paul."

Dawn's depressed features flared into a scowl in a heartbeat. "The only reason," she breathed, "I would want to see Paul again, is so I could run a knife through his heart."

"Stop lying," said Leaf, and Dawn looked up at her in shock. "You know that's not true." She made her way over to the door. "I'm going to interrogate Ash. Whether you come or not doesn't matter to me." With that, she turned on her heel and left the room.

Dawn watched her leave, unable to shake what Leaf had said about her and Paul. It was true. Dawn was lying, to everyone and to herself. Despite everything, she did not hate him.

And she hated herself for it.

* * *

><p>Leaf sallied up to the deck, her mind buzzing with questions for Ash. The more she thought about it, the more she realized she wanted to ask him. She frowned, and wondered if she could write them all down before she got there.<p>

Still contemplating, Leaf found the stairs that led up to the deck. Some staff members were heading down into the cabin area, and gave Leaf warm smiles as they passed her.

The three boys were seated at a table on the deck not far from the stairs, where they had said they would be. Their heads were low and close, as if speaking secrets. Curious, Leaf approached them, wondering what they were talking about.

"You could have said something earlier," Drew was saying to Ash.

"In front of the girls?" Ash questioned. "No chance."

Leaf froze. Had she just walked in on something she was not supposed to hear? Carefully, the girl eased back into the stairwell. She hoped she was out of sight, and that they weren't too good at their jobs.

From where she was crouched, Leaf could see the back of Gary's head, part of Drew, and some of Ash. Perhaps they could not see her. Leaf desperately wished so.

Gary shook his head. "I don't like it," he complained. "We should just stay here and try and live new lives."

"But if we could get _Paul,_" Drew argued, but Gary interrupted him.

"No. Saving Paul is not worth risking our lives like this," he stated. "Giovanni could kill us with just a snap of his fingers."

Giovanni. Leaf bit her lip worriedly. She knew that name, she knew it, but she could not remember who it was.

"Giovanni is an evil man who needs to be stopped," Ash declared. "If we don't do it now, this whole world could fall."

"Haven't we saved enough worlds this week?" asked Gary sarcastically.

"But we could save Paul!" Drew restated, this time with more emphasis.

Gary just shook his head. "We don't know that. We don't know what Cynthia has done to him." Someone walked by their table, and for a brief moment they fell silent. "Look," Gary continued, his voice low and cautious now, "this is a suicide mission. You said he has these legendary things? Whatever those are, it sounds like we don't have a chance." He paused. "And if we die, we leave those four in this world _alone._ They wouldn't last a day."

Leaf scowled. Her boyfriend had no faith in her.

Ash hesitated, as if Gary's argument fazed him slightly. Maybe with that inkling of doubt, Ash would call off this ridiculous idea.

"You know Dawn can't be happy here," Drew said quietly.

Gary swung his head around to glare at him. "You just _had_ to say that, didn't you?"

"But it's true," replied Drew, and his eyes grew soft. "I know it's ludicrous, but if we can save Paul, it would make this life more bearable for her." He paused. "And we can't just leave our friend to die at Cynthia's hands."

"Two against one," Ash stated, smirking. "We're going to kill Giovanni."

***AN: I had a really long, lovely AN for you all, but the internet died before I could save it. Basically, I hope this chapter is better emotionally, thank you all for reading and reviewing and staying so dedicated and without you this never would have happened, the next chapter is gonna be a while due to the computer being in the guest room and guests arriving, I love you all, and I think that's it.***


	4. Chapter 4

_Four_

_Gyarados,_ Misty read silently as she leaned on the rail. She stared intently at the screen of her Pokedex, fascinated by the information it held. A small picture of the giant snake Misty currently had in her pocket was being displayed on the screen, and below it, a treasure trove of information. _The atrocious Pokemon. Once it begins to rampage, a Gyarados will burn down everything, even in a harsh storm._

"Atrocious Pokemon?" she mumbled. "That's a species?" Misty peered at the screen. "List of moves…?" She selected the list.

_To learn what moves your Pokemon knows, please allow the Pokedex to scan it. _

"So this thing can read a Pokemon's mind?" Misty wondered. "How creepy is this place?"

"Hey, ginger!"

Misty looked up, frowning. "What?" she growled. _Nobody_ called her "ginger."

A girl with bright red hair was standing not far from her, a competitive fire burning in her eyes. "Let's have a battle!"

Misty stared at her. "What?" she said finally.

The girl's competitive spirit seemed to flicker slightly. "Battle," she repeated. "You, me, and our Pokemon. Let's see who's stronger!"

Misty suppressed a snort and grinned at her. "You mean you want my Pokemon to attack your Pokemon and we'll see who comes out on top?"

"That's generally what a battle is, yes," the girl agreed slowly.

Nodding, Misty turned back to her Pokedex and continued pushing buttons.

The girl watched her. "Was that a yes or a no?" she asked.

"Oh, it's a no," Misty informed her, not even glancing her way.

Immediately the girl grew angry. "Why not?" she demanded.

"Because I don't feel like it," Misty snapped back. She did not need to justify herself to this girl.

The girl nodded and folded her arms. "Then you forfeit," she said.

Misty rolled her eyes. "Yeah, sure, I forfeit."

"Then give me my winnings."

"What?"

"You forfeited a Trainer battle," the girl told her. "So you lost. Which means you owe me… oh, seventeen hundred poké?"

Misty paused, blinking rapidly as she tried to comprehend this. "So you mean that if you challenge me, and I refuse, I owe you seventeen hundred dollars?"

"I don't know what a dollar is, but sure, let's go with that." The girl smirked. "Still sure you want to do that?"

"What happens if I win?" Misty asked.

The girl gaped at her. "My God, have you never even left your house before?" she cried. "If I win, I get the money. If you win, you get the money. Simple as that."

Misty scowled at the Pokedex before her. "Fine." She snapped the device shut. "I'll battle you."

"Yes!" the girl cheered. "My name is Zoey, by the way."

"Misty," Misty said, not nearly as excited as her opponent. She shrugged, looking around. "Where are we supposed to do this?"

Zoey pointed over the railing. Below them, people were milling about the floor. "It's a battlefield," Zoey told her. "No one is on it yet, so let's hurry before someone else takes it."

In no time, Misty found herself standing at the end of the now cleared floor, in a designated box drawn on the ground. On the other side, within shouting distance, was Zoey. Misty folded her arms, trying to figure out what to do. She frowned as she watched Zoey take on a strange pose. "Go! Gallade!" she yelled, and she flung her arm out, releasing one of those small red and white balls.

Misty stared stupidly as the ball erupted in midair, emitting a white light. Suddenly, a lithe green and white man was standing on the battlefield, his arms held in a fencing pose. The spectators (which had grown to a mentionable number) applauded at the creature.

Confused, Misty pulled out the Pokedex. "Gallade," it said, and she frowned. Didn't she turn the stupid voice off? "The blade Pokemon. When protecting someone, it extends its elbows as if they were swords and fights savagely."

"How wonderful," Misty muttered. She touched a button on the screen, bringing up the individual statistics.

"Gallade," the device said again. "Level forty-five. Ability: Steadfast. Moves: Ma—."

"Yeah, yeah," Misty snapped. Annoyed, she flipped the Pokedex shut, silencing it. She fished around in her pocket and found her own marble sized ball. "Go Gyarados," she said, tossing it.

The ball exploded similarly to Zoey's, releasing a blinding white light. Except this light did not form a creature instantly. It grew, gaining height at an alarming rate. The spectators leaned their heads back to see. The Gallade on the battlefield gazed up, fear barely showing in its stoic gaze. But, as we all know, for a Gallade to show any emotion besides determination must mean the situation is dire.

Finally, the light faded to blue, and with a horrifying screech Gyarados came into view. Already furious, it swung its vicious gaze down at its infinitesimal opponent, whipping its tail.

Sweat appeared on the Gallade's brow, but with shaking knees it retained its battle stance.

Misty had opened the Pokedex again, allowing it to scan her own Pokemon. "Gyarados," it stated, "the atrocious Pokemon. Once—."

"Shut _up._" Misty touched the individual stats button, cutting the voice off. It launched into an individual analysis of the Pokemon, not deterred in the least.

"Gyarados. Level forty-nine. Ability: Intimidate. Moves: Hydro Pump, Headbutt, Hyper Beam, and Protect."

Misty stared at the Pokedex for a moment, her expression contemplating. "Okay," she said eventually, and she closed the device and slipped it in her back pocket. "So who goes first?" Misty called.

Zoey blinked, obviously in awe of Misty's Pokemon. "Oh, uh… I suppose… you can," she said slowly.

"Cool," Misty replied. She looked at Gyarados. "Headbutt!"

Gyarados roared in agreement and rammed its head down, zooming straight for the Gallade.

"Dodge it!" Zoey shouted.

The Pokemon lithely jumped out of the way of Gyarados, causing the giant snake to crash into the ground. It did not seem fazed in the slightest, however, and reared its great head to try again.

"Gallade, use Swords Dance and then Psycho Cut!" ordered Zoey.

"Gall!" the Pokemon exclaimed. It spun around, the swords on its elbows glowing a bright purple. Suddenly, a slice of white light shot from its arms, straight for Gyarados.

Misty did not know what she was doing, but she went out on a limb. "Hydro Pump!" she screamed. She paused. When did she get so into it?

Gyarados reared and a geyser of water exploded from its mouth, so powerful that it stopped the white light in its tracks, and even continued on to the Gallade. The Gallade tried to jump out of the way, but it did not move in time. The attack caught its leg and sent it spinning.

"Magical Leaf!" Zoey yelled, but her Gallade was still recovering.

"Hyper Beam!" Misty tried, solely because it sounded impressive and she wanted to see what it looked like.

Gyarados reared back, charging. A ball of bright white light formed in its jaws. The Gallade looked up fearfully, and darted out of the way. It was too late for Gyarados to re-aim, and the beam of light fired from its mouth and into the ground, creating a smoking crater in the ground that Misty was sure would burn through to the deck below.

Gallade jumped in the air and whipped its arms out. Leaves pelted from behind it, out of nowhere, and cut their way towards Gyarados. The great snake howled in pain, writhing in an attempt to ram its foe again.

"Psycho Cut, now!" ordered Zoey.

"Protect, Gyarados!" Misty called desperately. She did not want to lose. She wanted to beat this girl and her ballerina Pokemon into the ground.

Zoey let out a laugh. "Too late!"

The slice of light called Psycho Cut flew at Gyarados, powerful enough to send the great blue snake to the ground. Gyarados let out a scream as it went down. Gallade landed by its fallen form, triumphant.

Misty stared at her fallen dragon. Its eyes had closed, completely passed out, and its breathing was labored.

"We did it!" shrieked Zoey joyfully. She ran to her Gallade and wrapped it in a hug. "I knew we could! You were amazing!"

Misty blinked and pulled out her pokeball. "Return, Gyarados," she ordered quietly.

Zoey came up to her, Gallade trailing behind her. "Thanks for battling me. Misty, wasn't it?" She held out her hand. "Your Gyarados is really strong. How long have you had it?"

"Two days," Misty replied.

Zoey whistled. "Wow. Anyways, thanks. I'm not usually a battler."

Confused, Misty stared at her. Who _wouldn't_ be a battler? She was still jittery from the rush of the match, adrenaline coursing through her veins. Despite the loss, Misty could not wait to try again. "Then what are you?"

"I'm a Coordinator," Zoey explained. Assuming Misty did not know what that was, she continued. "It's like a performance. My Pokemon and I dress up and try and impress the judges with move combinations and talent."

Misty bit her lip, still not quite getting it. "Uh huh," she said.

"Do you have any other Pokemon?" Zoey queried. Her eyes lit up at the prospect of seeing her new friend's team.

"No," Misty replied. "Do you?"

"Of course I do," laughed Zoey. She glanced at her watch. "Oh, I'm supposed to meet my friend. I'll see you around, okay?"

Misty waved halfheartedly as the exuberant Coordinator and her Gallade frolicked away. "This place is just full of friendly people, isn't it?"

"Misty!"

At the sound of her name, the redhead looked up. Ash was standing where she had been before the battle, a thrilled grin on his face.

"You were amazing!" Ash called. "I mean, you almost won!"

Misty stared up at him. "I did?"

"Yeah!" Ash exclaimed. "Another hit and that Gallade would have gone down." He beckoned her, inviting her to join him. Misty made her way up the stairs again and went to stand by him. "Your Gyarados is really powerful," he went on. "Though I don't know how it learned so many moves after just evolving yesterday." He looked at her, grinning. "Did you have fun?" he teased.

Misty glanced at him, trying not to smile and failing. "Maybe," she said. She grabbed his wrist. "Come on. You're going to teach me how to battle."

***AN: Forgive any errors in this chapter. I didn't feel like editing. Maybe I will later. Probably not. If you catch anything, let me know so I can go fix it? Thanks. **

**My lovely buddy/bestie/not really a beta-reader beta-reader's birthday is in two days. Even though she's ridiculously far behind on this story (like hardly halfway through CBK) I'm going to dedicate this to her. Happy birthday Alma! I'm going to surprise you on Tuesday with a surprise!***


	5. Chapter 5

_Five_

Drew examined his face in the mirror, frowning. His formerly flawless features were marred by angry red cuts, some deep enough that the doctor had had to stitch them. He ran his hand over a particularly nasty one and winced. Cynthia had daggers for fingers, he decided.

Tenderly, Drew touched his nose. He flinched away instinctively, the swollen skin blaring with pain. With a scowl that hurt his face, Drew recalled Cynthia's elbow jarring him in the nose.

Sighing, Drew carefully lifted his shirt up, revealing large purple bruises on and around his ribs. Cynthia had kicked him there, mercilessly attacking him with her pointed boots. Despite knowing it would hurt, Drew gingerly prodded one of the black and blue spots. He gasped in pain, and let his shirt fall back down. Slowly, he looked back in the mirror.

His face would heal, Drew knew that. Perhaps some minor scarring. Maybe, if he kept icing it, the swelling of his nose would be gone tomorrow. In a few weeks, the bruises would fade. Before long, all mementos of the fight with Cynthia would be gone.

But Drew could not stop thinking about it.

His fists clenched when he remembered the sadistically pleased look on her face, wanting nothing more than to reach up and punch it right off of her. She had shot Paul, killed Rowan and Norman, and threatened May. Drew was burning with desire to put a bullet through Cynthia's pretty head.

If they ever got back to their world, he would.

* * *

><p>Leaf had wandered along the decks for quite some time, alone with her new information about the group of assassins they traveled with. However, the mention of murder did not disturb her. Strangely, the fact that Gary had said the girls could not last <em>one day<em> without them was what stuck. His lack of faith did more than hurt her pride.

It irked her.

As the young Leaf mulled over his words, seething, she did not realize where she going. When it finally occurred to her that this was a rather large ship and she _could,_ in fact, get lost, she looked up and found herself in front of a shop. She blinked at it in confusion, wondering why there was a shop on a supposedly overnight cruise ship. However, she justified that it was a rather large cruise ship and left it at that.

Curious, Leaf stepped inside. She blinked several times at the merchandise, bewildered. There were very few things one would find at a regular Walmart. The shelves were stacked with Pokemon paraphernalia, from stuffed dolls to medicine to books to candy bars. She gazed at the sheer immenseness of it all (again, considering they were on a cruise ship, this was an awful lot of stuff), not knowing where to begin. Like a child in Costco on sample day, she began to wander.

Leaf passed by several things that sparked her interest. She pulled a few books about Pokemon off the shelves and skimmed through them, her mind trying to absorb the battle strategies and type advantages. Thinking about it all made her brain hurt, as she had no idea what it was. But she desperately wanted to.

Her nose was buried in a book when something caught her eye. Leaf had to backtrack, having passed it whilst engrossed in something about why you should get a Ghost. She stared at it, and realized she was very, very attracted to it.

Leaf had never been a hat person. Well, she had never been an anything person, but there was _something_ about this hat that just… pulled her in.

It was nothing extravagant. The hat was white, with a red arch over the brim. A single red strip ran around the base, giving it just the right amount of color so that it wasn't _too_ white.

With pursed lips, Leaf reached out and pulled the hat off its stand. She clutched it in her hands, looking around wildly in search of a mirror. Upon finding one, she hurried over to it. Her reflection stared back at her, familiar and ordinary; knee-length skirt, patterned off-brand shirt, straight hair and plain shoes. Her outfit did nothing to accentuate her curves, bring out her eyes, or make her appealing in any way.

Hands trembling, Leaf placed that hat on her head.

The change was instantaneous. Suddenly, Leaf was no more a plain, boring schoolgirl. No, this Leaf was _sexy._ With those grey eyes glinting seductively from under that hat brim and that long, curving brown hair reaching the curve in her back, who _wouldn't_ fall under her spell?

Leaf lifted the hat up. She was back to normal. Her eyes were not grey, but _gray,_ with an A. Her hair was flat except for that annoying bump at the end. She put the hat back on. And decided she liked this Leaf a lot better.

Not a minute later, Leaf had found herself a whole new outfit. Instead of the boring t-shirt, she had donned a tight blue tank top, and for the first time she saw she had curves. _Nice_ curves. Curves that could rival Dawn, even.

Leaf had ditched the knee-length skirt for something much more daring. Her new pleated red skirt barely made it halfway down her thighs. Any other time, she would have been tugging it down in an effort to cover more, but for once, she did not care. She kind of liked it. It looked good. How had Gary liked the Leaf she used to be? It baffled even her.

To complete the outfit, Leaf had found matching blue socks and strapping white Mary Janes. Since she was going this far, she'd might as well go for the whole ensemble, right?

After another few minutes of staring at herself in the mirror, Leaf realized she could not part with these clothes. In fact, she could never go back to what she used to be. It was a new world. Where better to start over?

Unfortunately, it was in this same instant Leaf realized she had no money.

It surprised Leaf how easily a solution to this dilemma occurred to her. _New world,_ Leaf told herself, and she smirked at her reflection. Oh, she _loved_ that smirk.

Leaf managed to tear herself away from the mirror. She strolled confidently down the aisle, lifting a yellow shoulder bag off its hook as easily as if it were in her own home. She slung it over her neck, slipping her neatly folded old clothes inside it.

And then she walked right out the door.

* * *

><p>May had found herself a quiet, secluded table on the deck, alone with her woes. Her father was <em>dead. <em>She had to remember that. Even if they could get home, there was not much of a home to go back to. She wondered if anyone would tell her mother and Max about Norman's death.

And what about her? What would they tell her remaining family had happened to her? May pondered this, her eyes brimming, and realized they would probably think she was dead as well.

"Are you alright?"

May jumped and looked up. A man was standing over her table, his turquoise eyes concerned. A slight frown tugged at his handsome features. His hair was fair, almost silver. He cocked his head at her, more contemplative than concerned now. "You look familiar," he said.

Pursing her lips together to hold back more tears, May sniffed and looked away. "I, um, I don't know you," she stated shakily.

The man let out a small laugh and sat down in the empty seat across from her, dropping his backpack beside him. "Yeah, no one does anymore," he mumbled. He crossed his legs comfortably and slouched. "But I'm okay with that." He pulled at his loose fitting green tee, grinning. "No more suits."

May blinked at him. She had no idea who he was, or what he was talking about. "What?" she said plainly.

With a lazy smile, the man leaned back in his chair and folded his arms behind his head luxuriously. "My name," he began dramatically, "is Steven Stone."

May stared at him.

Steven Stone opened one eye to look at her, gauging her reaction. He appeared a little dissatisfied at May's blank expression, but tried to hide it with an extravagant sigh. "Of course, no one knows who that is anymore."

Silently, May bit her lip and tapped her finger on the table. The conversation was awkward, to say the least. She had no idea what to say to him.

"Do _you_ know who I am?" Steven Stone pressed, sounding just a little desperate now.

May shook her head. She did not know who_ anyone_ in this world was, let alone this random guy on a cruise ship. "Sorry," she said, because she felt guilty anyways.

Steven Stone's eyes flicked away, trying to mask his disappointment. "I see." He removed his arms from behind his head and leaned forward, no longer so relaxed. His eyes focused on May, smiling curiously. "Well, enough about me. What about you?"

May searched her mind and came up with absolutely nothing to tell this guy. "Um… my name is May," she stated.

"And why were you crying, May?" Steven asked gently.

After a moment of pondering his question, May turned away, her vision blurring with tears again. She sniffed, scrambling to find an answer for him, but all that came out was a gasping sob.

Immediately, Steven backed off. He raised his hands in an effort to calm her down. "H-hey, I'm sorry! I didn't know… well, sorry. Please don't cry." He plunged his hand in his backpack and pulled out a bundle of tissues. "Here."

May glanced at his clump of tissues and snatched one from his hands. "Th-thanks," she mumbled. She held it to her nose, embarrassed. "S-so," she managed, desperate to change the subject. "Who is Steven Stone?"

There was a moment's pause in which Steven scrutinized her, trying to decide if such a subject was dangerous waters. "Some guy who used to be Champion," he said aloofly.

The brunette visibly stiffened at the word Champion, images of Cynthia flashing through her mind. "Oh," she said curtly.

"Do you have something against Champions?" Steven asked.

May scowled at the open area to her left. "They're not my favorite people." A boldly dressed girl entered her field of vision, and May focused on her.

Steven eyed her curiously. "What about ex-Champions?"

May hesitated, contemplating his words. It _kind _of sounded like he was hitting on her, but all thoughts of this were interrupted with the shock of realizing who the girl was. "Leaf?" she cried.

The girl jumped about a foot in the air. "May!" Leaf exclaimed. She grinned broadly as she approached the table. "Hey! Who's this?" She gestured to Steven.

"What _happened_ to you?" May was so shocked she forgot she was mad at her friend.

"I got some new clothes," Leaf replied dismissively. She winked at Steven. "Busy tonight, sugar?" she said in a frighteningly flirtatious voice.

Steven blinked. "Um… what?"

Leaf laughed, a free and genuine laugh, the likes of which May had rarely ever heard. "Naw, I'm just kidding. I just wanted to say that." She pulled a chair from a neighboring table over to them and sat down, propping her feet up in a lax manner. "So what's up? What did I miss?"

"What did _I_ miss?" May countered, eyeing Leaf's outfit warily.

"I'm going to prove something to Gary," explained Leaf.

May blinked. "And then back to the old Leaf?" she asked hopefully.

Leaf smirked, and May had never seen such a devious expression on her face before. "Doubtful," she told her.

The once reserved girl would have been subject to hours more interrogation had two new voices not drifted over to their little table.

"I swear, Ash, if you hurt my Gyarados in _any _way, I will rip your fingernails from their beds."

"Yeesh, Misty, I said I'd go easy on you."

Leaf leaned her chair back in an effort to get a view of the newcomers. "Hey, Misty! Ash!" She waved.

Misty and Ash spun around and saw her, and for the briefest of moments it seemed they did not know who she was. Suddenly, it clicked in Misty's eyes. "Leaf!" she said, her eyes bugging out of her head. She hurried over to their table, Ash lagging behind her. "Holy crap, it's you!"

"'Course it is," Leaf argued with a smile. "Who else?"

Ash reached them and looked Leaf up and down. "Nice," he remarked. He let out a quiet "oof!" due to Misty's elbow coming in sudden contact with his stomach.

"Who's this?" Misty said cheerily as Ash coughed in pain behind her.

"I'm Steven Stone," Steven introduced.

Misty nodded. "Cool. Hey, Ash said he would teach me some battle strategies. Want to come?"

"I most certainly do!" Leaf said enthusiastically. "Come on, let's go!"

Ash had nearly recovered from his unexpected elbow jab. Coughing, he managed, "I'm sorry, what did you say your name was again?"

Steven blinked in surprise. Had someone actually recognized him? "Steven Stone," he repeated, trying to sound a bit more important.

Ash grimaced as he straightened up, his brow furrowing as he looked at Steven. "Ah," he said. He abruptly grabbed both Misty and Leaf's hands. "Well, it was nice meeting you. Come on, girls, you won't learn by standing here. May, get over here, _now,_ so I can teach you stuff."

May jumped at his stern tone, but she did not argue. She stood up, cast Steven an apologetic look, and followed Ash and the other two girls.

"What is your problem, Ash?" Misty snapped, yanking her hand away. "And _don't_ hold Leaf's hand, you're _my_ boyfriend, not hers."

Ash immediately dropped Leaf's hand like a child caught with something he was not supposed to have.

"Is something wrong with Steven?" May wondered. Her anger was slowing making its way back into her voice.

"He's a _Champion,_" Ash told them. "The Hoenn Champion."

"And that matters to me how?" Misty retorted.

Ash turned to May. "He was your dad's boss before he moved to Sinnoh."

Leaf stared at him. "He's part of the Company?"

"He said _ex-_Champion," May said bitingly. "And what do you mean, he was my dad's boss?"

Ash paused. "Ex?"

Misty shot him a glare. "Answer her question."

But Ash either did not hear her or chose to ignore her. His gaze grew foggy, pondering May's words. Finally, he let out a very soft, "Huh."

"I'm really starting to hate you," Misty grumbled.

Without a word to her or the other two girls, Ash pushed past them and made his way back to Steven, who was still seated at the table.

"Hey," Ash called, taking May's chair. Steven blinked at him in confusion. "When you lost the Championship, who did you lose it to?"

Steven scowled at him, as if irritated Ash would bring up such a topic. "Wallace. He was the Gym Leader of Sootopolis before he defeated me."

"Water Trainer, right?" Ash pressed.

Still agitated, Steven nodded. "Yes," he said curtly.

Ash smirked. "No wonder you lost. A master Steel-type Trainer against a master Water-type? The odds were stacked against you."

"Don't think I haven't analyzed that battle a million times," Steven snapped, not even trying to hide his annoyance. "I know everything that went wrong. I have laid out everything that I should and shouldn't have done, and I _know_ I could have won."

"So why haven't you gone back?" asked Ash. He was not shining with genuine curiosity. His eyes were critical, searching for the ulterior motive he thought Steven had.

There was a moment's silence, and Steven adjusted himself in his chair. "I was sick of wearing suits," he answered smoothly.

Ash scrutinized the former Champion with a strange glint in his eyes. "You just don't think you can win," he said in a low voice.

Never had such a furious look been cast upon someone so blunt. "What," Steven said, and his voice cut like glass.

Ash was undeterred, however. "And I _think_ you want to ensure you can before you go back and challenge him."

"I could _crush_ a Trainer like you—," Steven began with hostility, but Ash cut him off.

"Really?" Ash said, and it was almost a taunt. "You think so?"

Steven did not speak.

Smirking, Ash leaned forward. "I know what you're looking for," he told him. "And I know where it is."

At this, Steven let out a laugh. "I had to dig through centuries of history just to find the _name_ of the damn thing. There's no way you would have the—."

"The Enigma Stone?"

Steven swallowed his words and fell back in his chair. He sighed, his gaze looking everywhere but Ash. Finally, Steven met his gaze again, drumming his fingers across his arm. "I'm listening."

May, Misty, and Leaf still stood where Ash had left them, watching the two men converse. "That was a complete one-eighty," stated Leaf.

"What did he mean, my dad's old boss?" May wailed. "He's hiding something again, and I don't like it!"

"It looks like they're striking a deal," Misty said knowingly. "Though about what, I have _no_ idea." As she watched, Steven gave Ash a stubborn nod. Ash leaned back in his chair with a smug expression. "If he starts keeping secrets again," she murmured, "I'll string him up by his thumbs and charge little kids a buck to throw rocks at him."

Leaf bit her lip, fully aware that the boys were keeping secrets and now _she_ was too. "Did you see how angry Steven was just a moment ago?" Leaf wondered, easily swinging away from the talk of secrets. "And now it looks like Ash has changed his perspective." She frowned. "Impressive."

Ash stood up and left the table, approaching the three girls with a bit of a smirk on his face. "Ready for Pokemon training?" he asked.

"What just went on over there?" Misty demanded.

Wary, Ash glanced around. "I'll tell you later, alright?" he hissed.

Misty gazed at him, as if trying to see straight through him. Was he lying? If so, how could she tell? Ash had been _raised_ to lie and use people to his advantage. Just how much could she really trust him?

He _had_ saved her. Some part of Ash truly cared for her, or else he would not have saved her from the clutches of the Company, right? Or was she just an asset, and he an excellent actor?

Furious and frustrated, Misty succumbed and gave him a nod. "Yeah, let's go."

***AN: I apologize profusely for the horrifically late update, but I practically clawed my way through this chapter. Except for Leaf's bit. I'd like to say that was my plan all along, but in truth she was extremely OOC. In my mind, she was extremely reserved and conservative. Now, it's time to change that. **

**Also, we have Steven! I love Steven. He's so cool. I hope this chapter lived up to all your expectations. I didn't really edit it, so if you catch any errors, by all means let me know. Now, Doctor Who is on in three minutes, and I haven't made the popcorn yet. I'm outta here.***


	6. Chapter 6

_Six_

Gary glared at his cell phone. It was completely useless in this new universe, and of course he had not charged it in days. The battery life had reached blinking, which annoyed the young researcher. He had hoped to at least have the option of playing Angry Birds to pass the time here. Briefly, he wondered if this world had an equivalent called Angry Pidgey.

With a sigh, Gary flipped his cell phone off and rolled over in his bed. He could hardly feel the rocking of the sea, so big was their vessel. A glance at the clock on the wall of his cabin told him it was nearing seven o'clock. They had been on the boat for nine hours. And what had he done with that time?

Plotted to overthrow one of the most powerful men in this Pokemon world, naturally. Gary reflected that it was time well spent.

Suddenly, the door swung open. Gary lifted his head to see Ash walk in, running his hand through his hair in an effort to cool off. Noticing Gary, the raven haired boy nodded in his direction. "'Sup," he greeted.

Gary gave him a "whatever" sort of gesture and allowed his head to fall back onto the pillow. "Where've you been?" he asked.

"Teaching Misty and Leaf how to battle," Ash answered, a hint of exhaustion in his voice. "And potentially making May hate me." He paused. "Do you think the Company would kill Steven?"

Gary blinked, completely sidetracked. He had wanted to ask Ash what he had done to May, but clearly that would have to wait. "Steven Stone?" he questioned. At Ash's nod, he continued, "Why?"

"Because he's out there on the deck of the ship," Ash replied easily.

At this, Gary sat right up. "You're kidding me," he gasped. Ash simply shook his head. Startled, Gary jumped off the bed and onto his feet. "And?"

"And I made a deal with him," said Ash, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

Gary could not hide his shock. "About _what?_" he demanded.

"He promised to help us."

Astounded, Gary snapped, "And did you tell him what he was signing up for?"

Ash shrugged, slipping out of his shoes and sitting on his own bed. He bounced a little before answering. "Not really. What I offered him in return was enough to keep him from asking too many questions."

Immediately Gary was suspicious. "What did you offer him," he said in a flat voice.

As if he was not being nonchalant enough, Ash fell back onto the mattress, arms spread out wide. "The Enigma Stone."

Gary could not answer, he was sputtering so much. "The… wha… Enigma! _The _Enigma Stone?"

Ash nodded.

"You _do_ realize that thing was made by the Company, don't you?" Gary cried.

"No it wasn't."

Gary gaped at him. "_Yes,_ it was! I went to the Hoenn branch and _saw_ it!"

Ash actually let out a laugh. "Come on, Gary, think about it. If the Company managed to make you believe they _created_ Pokemon, while hiding the fact that this _whole world,_" he waved his arms to show the enormity of it, "actually exists, do you think it's possible that they could have taken a rock from this world and pretended that they developed it?"

Gary was silent.

Ash yawned and closed his eyes peacefully. "So about Steven," he murmured, not opening his eyes, "do you think they would kill him?"

Gary shrugged and sat down on his own bed. "I don't see any reason they would," he said. He hesitated. "Is this more about your 'dead people universe' theory?"

"Oh, come on, you've got to admit it's at least _plausible,_" Ash snapped defensively.

"Sure, it's _plausible,_ but it's practically impossible," Gary retaliated. "This universe isn't some kind of heaven we go to when we die. It's a parallel universe."

Ash frowned, glaring at the ceiling. "Aren't parallel universes supposed to have a lot in common?"

"See, that's the thing," Gary began, and he sounded too excited for his own good. "I think that, at one point, the two universes were very similar. But something small changed, a long, _long_ time ago, and the aftereffect has diverted the paths of our universes so much that we hardly find any similarities in them. Except," he paused to take a breath, "the people."

Ash rolled his head around on his pillow to look at Gary. The researcher had a large grin on his face. "You enjoyed that a little more than you should have," he remarked.

Gary scowled. "Fine."

A long silence stretched between them.

Finally, Ash spoke up. "So did you see Leaf?"

Gary blinked. "Not since we boarded. Why?"

Ash shrugged, and the tense quiet was back.

"Ash," Gary began slowly after too long of the silence, "what if you're right?"

"What do you mean?" Ash questioned.

Gary sighed. He could not tell if Ash was taking him seriously or simply looking for an excuse to make fun of him. "What if you're right in saying that everyone here is dead over there?"

Ash stared at him contemplatively. "Would this be a bad thing?"

Gary avoided his eyes, fiddling with the sheets on his bed. "Not… really, I suppose. Unless we… ran into Paul."

This time, the two welcomed the awful quiet.

"Well," Ash said, and his voice was too loud, "I suppose the obvious thing to do would be to find ourselves."

"Our parallel selves?"

"No, our inner selves like Siddhartha." Ash rolled his eyes. "Of course our parallel selves."

The quiet fell over them again, but was broken much sooner this time, by Gary. "Who's Siddhartha?"

* * *

><p>The next day, our heroes awoke to the sound of a foghorn tearing through the morning air. A thin fog had settled on the ocean during the night, as a thin fog always did. The ship pulled into the harbor not long afterwards. Three other ships, not nearly as large as the one they were on, were docked alongside them.<p>

"What did they need such a huge boat for anyways?" wondered Drew idly.

"We were on a cruise ship," Ash informed him. He gestured to the other ships. "Those are freighters."

Leaf frowned. "But there was hardly anyone on the ship," she argued.

"This is a much bigger shipyard than the one we left," Gary remarked. "Maybe the ship was sent in for repairs."

"Why are we questioning the ship?" Misty wondered. "This world is topsy-turvy. No point in wondering why they do what they do."

"Yes there is, because this is where we'll be living," May replied sharply.

Gary glanced around. "Where's Dawn?"

The boys looked to the girls, who incidentally focused their attention on Dawn's bedmate, who happened to be May. Realizing she was in the spotlight, May blanched. "I don't know!" she snapped.

* * *

><p>"So you dress Pokemon up and compete in beauty pageants for a living?" Dawn asked. Despite her fear of this new world, the prospect interested her.<p>

Zoey nodded, her hands in her pockets as they strolled through the town of Vermilion City. "It's not like I make bank doing it, but it's a lot of fun and it does get me and my Pokemon meals." She pulled her hand out of her pocket to adjust the bag on her shoulder. "I travel a lot, though. But everyone does, especially here in Kanto. They have the most traveling Trainers and Coordinators than any other region, although the Contests aren't as big here as they are back home." She eyed Dawn curiously. "How do you not know all this? It's like you're from Mars or something."

Dawn fixed her gaze on the ground passing under their feet. "I didn't come here by choice," she stated flatly. "Let's just leave it at that."

Zoey just shrugged. "Well… do you have any Pokemon?" she tried.

Dawn was about to shake her head when she remembered the blue penguin. "Yeah, I've got this… penguin… thing."

"A Piplup?" Zoey guessed, excitement showing on her face.

Dawn racked her brains to remember what Ash had called the thing. "I think so."

"Well show it to me!" exclaimed Zoey.

Quite disinterested, Dawn slipped her hand in her pocket, only to find it empty. Frowning, she tried the other pocket and got the same result. "Oh," she stated. "It's gone."

"What!" Zoey cried, going pale.

Dawn made a face. "I bet I know who has it, too."

* * *

><p>Ash tossed the little pokeball in his hand, smirking.<p>

"You think you're so clever, don't you?" Misty snapped, her arms folded across her chest.

"You don't get far in this world without a Pokemon," Ash explained. "If Dawn has any brains in that blue head of hers, she'll find us soon. Meanwhile," he went on, leaning forward in his chair, "we will eat ice cream."

The six of them were seated on the patio of an ice cream parlor, each enjoying their own scoop of ice cream.

"Do we have money for this?" Gary asked skeptically.

"Yes, it's my treat." Steven Stone appeared from inside the parlor, carrying his and May's ice creams. He handed the cone to May with a smile, and the brunette blushed in return. Drew observed this with cold eyes, but did nothing.

"Ash!"

Ash looked around innocently, already knowing who was calling his name. "Yes?" he asked.

Dawn marched up to him, her arms folded angrily, and glared Ash down. "You took my penguin thing," she stated. A girl with orange hair came up behind her, adjusting the sunglasses that rested atop her head. "Give it back."

"Technically," Ash said, drawing out the word, "it's my penguin thing."

There was a moment's silence before Dawn retaliated with a very feminine, "_What?_"

"You're not ready to have a Pokemon," continued Ash. His face still portrayed a look of utter innocence.

"And Misty and May are?" snapped Dawn.

Ash arched an eyebrow. "I never said that." He gestured to the empty table next to them. "You're not going anywhere without us, Dawn," he told her. "Might as well enjoy the ice cream."

Dawn was nearly shaking with fury, but she sat down (albeit hard) nevertheless.

Zoey took the seat opposite her with a much calmer demeanor. "Hey," she remarked, pointing at Misty, "you're the girl I battled yesterday!"

Misty gave a wan smile, still sore about losing.

With a nod towards Ash, Zoey said, "Hey, is this your boyfriend?"

Expectedly, both of them blushed furiously. "No, he's—!" Misty began heatedly, but she stopped short. "Oh yeah," she mumbled. "He kinda is."

Ash gave her a disdainful look, which Misty answered by knocking his hat off his head.

"Cool. I'm Zoey," Zoey said to Ash. "I beat your girlfriend yesterday."

"Yes, I saw," Ash replied plainly.

Zoey nodded agreeably. She gave him a grin. "So where are you guys headed?" she inquired in a friendly tone.

"The League," Steven informed her, missing the scowl Ash shot him.

"Ooh, who's challenging?" Zoey wondered.

"What's the League?" asked May.

Zoey stared at her. "You seriously don't know?" she said incredulously.

"You _don't?_" Steven cried in a similar tone.

"I don't know either," Drew announced, trying to save his girlfriend some dignity.

Ash rolled his eyes. Really, they were all overreacting. "The League is a series of Pokemon challenges. If you defeat the other competitors, you can claim the title and leave. Or you can move on to battling the Elite Four, and then the Champion. If you defeat the Champion, you become Champion and you gain an immense amount of political power."

"That's stupid," Misty replied, wrinkling her nose. The two natives to this world gaped at her in shock. "You'd think a place like this would be a democracy."

"Excuse me," snapped Zoey, narrowing her eyes. "We elect our own leaders, thank you very much. We're not fascist like Unova."

"Kanto still has a monarch," Steven mentioned.

Zoey shrugged. "Yeah, but the queen doesn't have any power. The Kanto Senate and Prime Minister decide everything." She smiled smugly. "Sinnoh is the only _true_ democracy so far."

Steven looked offended. "Hoenn is a democracy," he snapped.

At this, Zoey scoffed. "The Hoenn Republic is _not_ a democracy."

"You're right," Steven agreed. "It's _better._"

"Seriously?" Leaf interrupted, causing them both to fall silent. "I mean, come _on._" She tilted her hat a little, as if it had already become a habit. "Politics aside, what does the League have to do with this?"

Zoey was too busy glaring at Steven to answer, so the former Hoenn Champion stepped up to the plate. "Well, being the strongest Trainer in the nation, you get control of the military."

"_What?_" several of the non-natives cried at once.

Steven looked taken aback but their surprise. "Yeah," he said, as if this were obvious. "Being Champion means you're the number one strategist in the region. In the event of a war, you would lead the military with the Elitists and the Gym Leaders."

"The regions stay strong because our armies are under constant challenge," Zoey put in.

Gary's brows knit together worriedly. "Being Champion, would you also have control over the standing civilian army?" he questioned. There was only a hint of fear in his voice.

Steven shrugged. "Naturally," he replied. "But most regions don't have a standing army. We _do_ have standing navies, though. Most of our warfare is on water."

"Does Kanto have a standing army?" Drew asked immediately.

Uncertain, Steven exchanged a look with Zoey, who shrugged. "I don't know," the young redhead answered. "I was never interested in politics."

"Why are you asking all these questions?" May wondered suspiciously.

Caught, Drew leaned back in his chair and shook his head innocently. Leaf grimaced and hoped no one looked at her.

Steven scratched the back of his head thoughtfully. "Kanto just had a change of Champion, didn't they?"

Zoey yawned. "I don't keep up with the current events. Maybe."

Ash leaned back in his chair, tipping it on its back legs until he could see into the ice cream parlor. "Hey," he called, and the young woman behind the counter glanced up. Ash beckoned her, and she set down the rag she had been using to clean the countertop with and came outside.

"Anything I can help you with?" the woman asked politely.

"Is it true that Kanto got a new Champion recently?" Ash inquired.

A smile broke on the woman's face. "Yes, Giovanni," she replied happily. "He's brilliant. Much better than Lance was."

Gary and Drew gaped simultaneously. Ash paled slightly. "You like Giovanni?" he asked forcibly. "Why?"

The woman folded her arms delicately. "Well, he's a much stronger Trainer than Lance, and he has plenty of experience. He's a veteran of the Two Time War, and even got a Courage Badge from it. If you ask me, he's going to make a much better Champion than anyone we've ever had."

"Wait, Ash, is this the same Giovanni that—?" Dawn began, but Leaf lunged across the table and clamped her mouth shut.

Suspicious looks greeted Leaf, but no one said anything in front of the ice cream lady.

Abruptly, Ash jumped, his eyes wide. He swore softly and plunged his hand in his pocket. "I completely forgot!" he hissed. "Damn it!" From his pocket Ash's hand returned with several pokeballs in his hand, one of which was shaking violently.

"What's wrong with it!" cried May, panicking.

The little ball suddenly grew, enlarging so that it knocked the other pokeballs from Ash's hand. He desperately tried to catch them as they fell, but was distracted by the larger ball bursting open. There was a flash of white light that blinded them all momentarily, and when it faded away, a very angry yellow mouse was standing on the table.

"Pika!" it snapped, its yellow arms folded menacingly.

"I'm sorry!" Ash cried.

Outraged, Pikachu pointedly turned away from its master and stuck its nose in the air.

The ice cream lady frowned. "No Pokemon on the tables," she scolded. Ash smiled sheepishly at her as he lifted Pikachu off the table. The woman scowled at him and walked away.

"Did it just break out of its pokeball?" Misty said in awe.

"Again?" Gary added, though not as impressed.

"You have a Pikachu!" Zoey exclaimed. She held out her hands. "Can I hold it?"

Ash grimaced at the mouse in his hands, flinching as tiny bolts of electricity sparked around it. "Not sure that's a good idea right now." He jumped as he was apparently shocked, the hairs on his arms all standing on end.

Zoey pouted and leaned back again. "Well, back to my earlier question. Who's challenging the League?"

Everyone looked at Ash, who flinched and glowed for a brief moment as Pikachu sparked with electricity. Slowly, he set Pikachu back down on the table and managed to remove his hands from the static yellow fur. "M-me," he said finally.

* * *

><p>The author would hereby like to apologize for excluding a scene many of you were most likely looking forward to. Due to problems with the flow of the chapter, the author could find no adequate place to include said scene, and has thus put it here, as a bonus feature.<p>

Gary sighed as he made his way onto the deck. It was incredibly stuffy inside the cabin with Drew and Ash, considering Ash snored and Drew kept mumbling in his sleep, something about Cynthia. The young researcher could not sleep in such an environment.

The cool night breeze was welcomed on Gary's hot cheeks. He took deep gulps of it, easing his parched lungs. The moon above him was large, bigger than it was back home. Wistfully, Gary stepped over to the railing and leaned forward, gazing up at the great white eye. This world was beautiful, Gary decided. Everything was so clean and modern, yet attuned to nature. It had gotten everything right that their world had not.

There was the tapping of footsteps, and Gary looked up to see a boldly dressed girl come out of the stairwell. She fiddled with the hat on her head, straightening it. When her eyes fell on Gary, she froze.

Gary stared at her. She looked remarkably familiar…

Suddenly, it clicked, and Gary could not hide his shock. "Leaf!" he cried, his jaw falling open.

Leaf suppressed a grin, rocking on her heels innocently. "Yes?" she replied, drawing out the word.

Gary blinked several times. "Wha? You… we… when… huh?" he blubbered. He gestured at her attire, unable to convey his surprise. "When did this happen?"

"Do you like it?" Leaf asked worriedly. She bit her lip, and Gary's heart throbbed a little. She looked _so_ adorable like that.

"Y-yeah!" Gary insisted. He tried not to sound too enthused, as seeing her dressed like that made his cheeks turn pink, but if she thought he was lying, she would be devastated. Oh, the dilemma of being a teenage boy.

Leaf eyed him nervously, as if searching for honesty on his face. Finally, her lips broke into a small smile, and she joined him at the railing. "Good," she said. "Because I ain't changing back."

Gary stared at her. She looked so much more… attractive like this. More risqué. Much, much more than someone like him could handle. "Don't ever," he breathed, and suddenly he realized he said it aloud. "I-I mean, not that I didn't like you before!" Gary amended hurriedly. "Just that… this seems more… you."

It was not a lie. Leaf somehow looked more natural in these clothes, as if she had been born to wear them. "You think so?" she questioned. She was unable to keep the smile off her face, nor the slight blush from her cheeks. She slipped her hand in his and squeezed.

Gary did not know what came over him. Her touch must have made him forget himself, because he never would have done what he did next otherwise. Gary pulled her to him, chest to chest, and kissed her.

It was sudden and fierce, surprising Leaf so much that her hat nearly fell off her head. But it was not unwelcome, and soon enough they were wrapped up in each other's arms, lips together in a passionate kiss, with the moon glowing behind them.

They broke away simultaneously, gasping for breath. Leaf blinked at him, and a moment later she was grinning and kissing him again. Gary stumbled a little as she jumped on him, tightening his grip around her waist to hold her up.

"I should have dressed like this a long time ago," Leaf whispered between kisses. She ruffled his hair affectionately.

Gary hugged her close, pressing his lips softly to her forehead. "How long do you think we can get away with being out here?" he asked her quietly.

Leaf giggled, and Gary smiled. "A long time," she replied with a wink.

***AN: You are all wonderful readers, and I a terrible author. Shame on me for making you wait so long. But I had SO much homework (do NOT take AP Chemistry, people. It will KILL you) and I think I'm sick and Doctor Who's ending was just awful and I have a lot more excuses but I won't put them here. **

**Let's pretend Steven and Zoey aren't as knowledgeable about the military layout of their world as they say, and allow them to make a few mistakes. And since I'm exhausted and really don't feel like editing this, I won't. Feel free to do it for me and complain about it in a review. I'll go fix it later... maybe.* **


	7. Chapter 7

_Seven_

The Vermillion City Pokemon Center was quite noisy compared to the one in Sandgem. Our heroes congregated in the lobby, seated on the couches around a low table. Three young Trainers were mercilessly kicked off the sofa to make room for Ash and the rest of them, and they grumblingly seated themselves on the floor. Soon, they were re-hypnotized by the movie playing on the TV and did not complain.

Several other young people and Pokemon alike ran amuck in the Center. Small battles started up here and there, while gossip was heavy in the air.

All in all, it was a headache.

"Okay," Gary began, and the others had to lean in to hear him over the noise. He reached into his lab coat and produced several napkins. Hastily penned words covered the sheets. "We need to get to the League as quickly as possible, so I suggest we split up. Leaf and I will take Pewter and Cerulean, since my Blastoise and Electrivire have advantages there. Drew, you and May will take Vermillion and Fuchsia. You're going to have to train her Torchic to beat Fuchsia, but we need it strong anyways. Have it battle Roserade as much as you can."

Drew nodded once. "I'll make sure it's strong enough."

Gary grimaced. "Yeah, just… don't go Paul on it." He looked back at his notes. "Ash, you have to take the three on the western side, since you have the most Pokemon. Misty and Dawn will go with you." Finally, Gary turned to Zoey and Steven. "You two will take Celadon and Saffron. I don't know your Pokemon, but they have to at least be strong enough to handle those." He grabbed one of the napkins and scanned it before speaking. "Now—."

"Hang on, hang on," Steven interrupted, his hand raised. "We're going to cheat our way through the Indigo League?"

Gary stared at him. "Well it's not ideal, but we don't have much time. This is the fastest way I could swing it."

Zoey gaped at the researcher. "Seriously?" she cried. "You're going to have us split up the challenges and then give all the badges to Ash?"

Ash blinked. "Divide and conquer, right?" he said.

"As a former Champion, I refuse to allow such behavior," Steven declared.

"Yeah, and I'm not doing this," agreed Zoey.

There was a long silence in which Gary stared at the two of them. Suddenly, he turned back to his napkins and shrugged. "Alright. We'll have to divide the Gyms up again. Drew, you're going to take that Luxray Ash has to help you with a third Gym. Leaf and I will take Torterra if it's well enough to battle. And—."

"Whoa!" Steven cried. "I just said I wouldn't allow this sort of cheating!"

"But we need all eight badges to get into the League, right?" wondered Drew.

Zoey gaped at them. "Do you guys seriously not see a problem with this?"

"Yeah, what's the rush?" asked Misty. "One person is supposed to go through it alone, right?"

Ash sighed deeply and rolled his head around to stare at her. "Look," he began, "we need to get this over and done with as soon as possible. Sure, it'd be _nice_ to play it fair and hit every city, but that's quite time consuming for us and not very efficient."

"But that's cheating," May told him. "Why do we need to cheat to get this done?"

"Because of Giovanni!" Leaf exclaimed.

The group fell silent, all eyes fixed on Leaf. Quietly, Gary leaned over to her and asked in a murmur, "How do you know about that?"

Horrified, Leaf swallowed. "The ice cream lady," she said easily. Her ability to lie shone most brightly when she was in trouble. "She said something about Giovanni, didn't she?"

Slowly, heads began to nod. Unfortunately, Misty was cleverer than Ash had accounted for. "The same Giovanni from our world?" she snapped. Furiously, she whipped her head around to glare at Ash. "You _are_ keeping secrets, aren't you?"

"No!" Ash replied indignantly. "I just found out about this too. As soon as the woman at the parlor said Giovanni, I knew it was the same one. We can't let him destroy this world too." He scowled at her. "So literally five minutes ago, we decided we were going to fight him."

Only Leaf saw the holes in his lies, but perhaps it was because she knew the truth. Still, she remained silent, not wanting to see the uproar her knowledge would cause. But from the look on Gary's face, it was clear he had seen through her fib too.

"What do you mean, your world?" Zoey demanded.

"We're going to fight again?" Dawn questioned, and she did not look happy about it.

Drew looked at Gary. "Why don't you explain this all to them?" he suggested, jerking his head towards Misty, May, and Dawn. "Ash and I will talk to these two."

Gary's face fell. "Why do _I_ have to talk to the girls?" he wondered pitifully, but he stood nonetheless. "You guys should come with me," he called, beckoning towards the girls.

Looking pleased they would get some answers, the three of them stood up. Leaf followed warily, wondering if Gary would tell them the truth.

Alone, Drew and Ash turned to Steven and Zoey, who could not have appeared more peeved. "So," Ash began hesitantly. Pursing his lips, he glanced at Steven. "I promised you the Enigma Stone if you helped us, didn't I?"

"I would not do something so dishonorable to get it," Steven retorted.

"You're going to have to," Ash stated plainly. "Because unless we get rid of Giovanni, there is no way you can get it."

Steven scowled at him disbelievingly. "If Giovanni had it, I would have found out months ago."

"He doesn't have it," Drew put in. With a glance towards Ash for reassurance, he flipped his hair out of his face and sighed. "I never actually saw it, but I'm pretty sure it's in our world."

"So you guys _are_ from Mars?" Zoey questioned, though she did not look the least bit serious.

"We are from a parallel world where we are noble princes who fight horrific creatures day and night and rescue beautiful maidens on a weekly basis," Ash replied immediately.

Steven and Zoey looked taken aback, their expressions trying to hide their surprise. Drew, on the other hand, rolled his eyes profoundly at Ash, silent.

Ash shrugged at his friend's expression. "Well, you know, for all they know, we could be," he said embarrassedly.

"We're not princes," Drew told them.

"Oh good," Steven said. He visibly relaxed. "No competition."

Drew tensed. "Excuse me?"

"Anyways!" Ash declared loudly. "We're from a parallel universe. That's the gist of it. To get home, we have to defeat Giovanni." He did not bother specifically defining "defeat."

"That seems really cliché," Zoey remarked.

"Not our fault," Ash grumbled.

"Let me guess," the ginger continued, "a deity descended from the heavens and assigned you this noble quest, right?"

"Actually, it was a pink fairy," Ash snapped, as if this were far more impressive than a deity.

Drew stared at him. "Seriously?"

Ash shrugged. "Yeah, and she was bitchy."

"A bitchy… pink… fairy," Steven repeated slowly.

"Yeah," Ash confirmed. "She told me her name, but I don't remember it."

"You're not helping our case, Ash," Drew told him.

Zoey rolled her eyes. "Okay, let's pretend you guys _are_ from a parallel universe. Why should we help you cheat the League? What do we gain?"

"We know Giovanni," said Drew, his expression serious. "He won't be kind to this world. He'll destroy it like he tried to do to ours."

Steven and Zoey were silent. Even the crazy children running about the Center seemed to quiet.

Finally, Steven sighed heavily and folded his arms. "Just how old are you, Ash?" he asked carefully.

Ash blinked. "How is that relevant?"

"Are you twenty-five? Twenty-six?" Steven went on, ignoring his question.

Hesitantly, Ash frowned. There had to be a motive for asking him this, and a reason for guessing such lucrative numbers. Surely Ash did not look older than he was. "Nineteen," Ash stated.

Immediately Drew's eyes flashed. He glanced at Ash warily, debating on whether he should say something or not.

Surprisingly, Steven's shoulders sagged. "I see," he said. "Alright."

Zoey straightened, sensing a decision was being made without her consent. "Alright what?" she demanded.

"We'll help," Steven told them.

"No we won't," argued Zoey.

"Yes," Steven said dangerously, "we will."

"Why?" asked Drew.

Steven looked at him. "Do you really need a reason?"

"Nope!" Ash replied happily. "Glad you're on board. Well, we'd better check on Gary, make sure he's not being torn apart by the girls." He stood up, stretching. "See you in the morning."

Drew, Zoey, and Steven watched as Ash strolled away towards Gary and the others. As soon as he was gone, Zoey turned on Steven. "Why are we helping them?" she snapped. "This is illegal!"

"Doesn't he remind you of someone?" Steven questioned quietly. He seemed distant as he stared after Ash.

Zoey snorted. "No."

Drew frowned. "He reminds you of someone?"

Steven nodded distractedly. "Yeah," he murmured. "But it could be just my imagination."

* * *

><p>Gary, meanwhile, was having problems of his own.<p>

"I don't know everything, stop pestering me!" he snapped.

Misty was having none of it. "You haven't told us anything. I suggest you start talking before I break out the turpentine and set your pants on fire for the liar that you are!"

"Why can't you just tell us?" May wondered. She looked like the fight had gone out of her, and was more exhausted than anything.

Dawn glanced around. "Leaf, back us up here. Just because he's your boyfriend doesn't give him the right to lie to us."

"I don't think he's lying," Leaf said again. This was the third time she had tried to steer her friends away from interrogating Gary, and it seemed that once again she was going to be unsuccessful.

"I'm not," Gary insisted. "All I know is that if we want to get home, we need to kill Giovanni." He paused. "Again," he added as an afterthought.

"Don't say that so loudly!" Ash hissed. He suddenly clamped his hand over Gary's mouth, having joined their cluster. He glanced back at where Steven and Zoey were still interrogating Drew and shook his head. "He's this country's leader. You can't go about saying you're going to kill him. People will hear you, and then people will _hear_ about it, and that's a whole mess of trouble we don't want." He released his grip on Gary's face, and the shorter boy made a disgusted expression. "Now, I'll answer all your questions."

Leaf straightened up curiously. Would he be honest? She doubted it.

"Okay," Misty began, and it sounded as if she doubted him as well, "is this the same Giovanni from our universe? The one Cynthia shot?"

Ash grimaced at her volume. "Sh!" he said sharply. "And yes, I think it is. Next question."

May raised her hand, as if she were in school or a press conference. "How do we know that's how we get home?" she asked.

"A… pink fairy told me," Ash said forcibly. At their various skeptical looks, he threw his hands in the air. "I'm serious!"

"I got a question."

Ash sighed in frustration at Drew, who had just joined their little circle. "What?"

"How old are you?"

Confused, Ash blinked. "I'm nineteen. Why?"

The outcry this caused was completely unexpected by Ash.

"You're _what?_" Misty exclaimed. "Since _when?_ How were you in high school then?"

"Have you been lying about your age this _whole time?_" cried May.

Drew folded his arms. "Have you?"

Ash's eyebrows knit together, trying to figure out the problem. "No, I was born in ninety-two. I'm nineteen." He stared at them. "Why, what did I say before?"

"Seventeen!"

The collective yell was enough to make Ash flinch away from them all. "Jeez! Calm down, it's just a number. What does it matter?"

"What does it matter?" Misty repeated furiously. She took a menacing step towards him. "What does it _matter?_ I'm dating a nineteen-year-old _liar_ is what matters!" Leaf had to leap forward and hold Misty back, which was quite a task as the redhead was considerably stronger than she was.

Ash backpedaled in fright. "Oh!" he said suddenly. "Oh, I got it. I wasn't lying!" he insisted, holding up his hands in surrender. "I got two years of memory swiped, remember? I thought I was seventeen!"

Misty stopped breathing fire and relaxed in Leaf's grip. This answer seemed to satisfy everyone, and silence ensued.

Finally, Dawn quietly raised her hand. "Do we have to fight again?" she said in the meekest of tones.

Ash shook his head. "No. Never again. I won't make you guys do that."

She raised her hand again, and Ash frowned. Dawn met his eyes with a cold stare and said, "If we fight, will it save Paul?"

Leaf's eyes flicked between Dawn and Ash. She knew what Dawn was asking, and how Dawn's whole existence in this world would depend on Ash's answer. If he said yes, Dawn would throw herself into the fray and risk everything. If he said no, she would not cooperate, but she would be safe. Leaf's lips set in a frown as she pondered what Ash would say.

Finally, the raven-haired assassin stood up taller, his expression grim. He met Dawn's icy blue eyes with a dull, brown seriousness. "Yes."

***AN: It's so short! I'm sorry! But I had to make sure I got something up for you guys before November, because I'll be busy busy busy. **

**I'm doing NaNoWriMo this year! *confetti* Yes, I'm attempting a major suicide mission that I don't expect to complete, but I have this great idea planned out (completely original!) and I think I can get a lot done if I work for it. So basically NO UPDATES UNTIL DECEMBER. Unless I... you know, update.***


	8. Chapter 8

_Eight_

"Everyone knows where they're going?" Gary called, craning his neck. The group of Trainers, Company workers, and regular girls milling about seemed rather unorganized and out of place, and few of them were paying attention. Gary cleared his throat. "Guys!" he said, louder.

The others stopped talking, and all eyes were on him.

Gary flexed his fingers and pulled out a piece of stationary they had obtained from Nurse Joy. "Do we all have maps?" he asked. There was nodding all around. "Great. Do we all have money?" Again, there were nods. "Excellent." Gary raised his voice a bit to emphasize importance. "Now, don't squander your cash, please. Our sponsor doesn't want to lose too much money." He glanced towards Steven, as if to say _There, I said it._ "Get to your cities as quickly as possible, and for God's sake, _don't_ separate from your buddies."

"We _know_ that," Drew replied in an annoyed tone.

Gary just shot him a glare and did not retaliate. "Your cities are circled on your maps, in case you forget where you're going," he went on. "When you finish your cities, head to Viridian. Where are we all meeting?"

"Viridian," was the monotonous, universal reply.

"Well thank God we got that down," Gary grumbled. Planning this whole affair had been a real burden for him, and he was more annoyed than the people having to listen to him. "I expect you all to call me once a day." He held up his Pokedex. "We went over how these things work as phones last night, right?"

"Right," everyone replied, bored.

"And if I get any calls in the middle of the night," Gary continued with a glare specifically at Drew and Ash, "that are _not_ emergencies, I will sic Electivire on you. Are we clear?"

"Yes." This time, there were some yawns in the audience.

Gary rolled his eyes. "Great. Now go before I lecture you all to death."

There were some halfhearted cheers at escaping the drawl of Gary's speech as the groups split off. Most of them pulled out their maps to judge the best way to head. Gary sighed heavily, and his shoulders sagged. Leaf placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "It wasn't _that_ boring," she assured him.

Immediately, Gary snapped his head up to scowl at her. "You really _are_ good at lying, aren't you?" he asked, exasperated.

Leaf frowned. "What? I don't—."

"You've been lying to the other three girls this whole time," Gary replied sharply. "Ever since you heard us on the ship."

Leaf bit her lip worriedly. "You were doing it too," she argued. "I even defended you."

Gary snorted and rolled his eyes. "Whatever." He snapped open his map. "Let's just get going. We need to get to Fuchsia before nightfall." He began walking away.

Leaf ran after him. "So you're mad at me for doing what you did the whole time I knew you!" she cried. "You freaking hypocrite!" She paused. "And, hey! I wasn't even doing it to _you,_ stupid!"

Gary stopped in his tracks so suddenly that Leaf nearly ran into him. "I suppose you're right," he mumbled. He rolled his eyes and looked at her. "Okay, fine. I'm sorry."

Leaf made a face. "Good!" she snapped, folding her arms.

A silence fell between them. Finally, Gary held out his hand. Leaf eyed it, and with a sarcastic look of skepticism she took it. "Come on," Gary said, smiling slightly. "We need to get you a Pokemon, don't we?"

* * *

><p>Leaf felt very, very nervous, and was starting to regret her former pride. It had been so stupid of her to think she could catch a Pokemon, <em>on her own,<em> while Gary stood on the sidelines with that look he always had when observing something interesting.

God, he looked _so_ hot like that.

Leaf blinked and tore her eyes away from her boyfriend. She had to focus. If she could not catch a Pokemon, after proclaiming so loftily that she could, it would be a disastrous blow to her pride and ego as the New Leaf she had turned over.

For a moment, Leaf marveled at her play on the old cliché, then refocused on the task ahead. Here, in the forest, there was bound to be a Pokemon around. She recalled the forest they had landed in, after just leaving the portal, and thought about all the animal noises she had heard. This forest was no different, undoubtedly crawling with life and Pokemon waiting to be captured. Her hand tightened around the pokeball she held. New Leaf was going to catch herself the biggest, baddest Pokemon in the the whole forest.

"I'm going to walk around a little bit," Leaf called to Gary.

Gary arched an eyebrow. "Do you want me to come with you?" he asked.

"No, I should be fine," Leaf replied. She veered left and vanished into the trees.

As Leaf walked, she imagined the look on Gary's face when she returned with a totally awesome Pokemon. Oh, it would be priceless. What a shame Leaf's phone had run out of battery. For nostalgia's sake, she pulled the device out of her pocket and flipped it open. The screen remained black.

With a sigh, Leaf put the phone back in her pocket. She would have liked to take a picture of his face.

Suddenly, there was rustling in the bushes.

Leaf tensed. Was it a Pokemon? She began to get very excited. Grinning, Leaf slunk behind a tree and peered around the trunk, watching the moving bushes eagerly. "Okay," she whispered to herself. "Here we go. You can do this, Leaf. You can do this."

Out of the bushes came a short, yellow ant eater. It walked on its two brown hind feet and swayed slightly, as if it were sleepwalking. Its eyes were half open, and it proceeded to stumble through the woods like a drunk.

Leaf's grin widened at the sight of it. It was an easy catch, certainly, but Gary wouldn't have to know that. She pressed the button on the pokeball, and it enlarged in her palm.

Abruptly, the yellow thing turned around. Its nose swung from its face like a short elephant trunk, and its tiny eyes spotted her.

"Drow?" it said dumbly.

Leaf blinked at it, then leapt out from behind the tree. "You're mine, whatever you are!" she declared, brandishing the pokeball.

The thing's eyes grew wide, and it turned tail and ran.

"Wha?" Leaf said in disbelief. She raced after it. "Hey! What the heck?"

The creature took long, lumbering steps that were somehow ridiculously fast. Leaf was soon panting with the effort to keep up. She had never been one for running. One year in middle school, May convinced her to join the cross-country team. That had pretty much been the end of all sports for Leaf.

As she ran, Leaf decided that, as New Leaf, she was going to have to do some sort of sport.

Abruptly, Leaf lost sight of the yellow baby elephant.

"No!" she yelled involuntarily, and she crashed through the bushes. Leaf stumbled, her foot snagging on a root, and she tumbled onto the leaf littered forest floor. "Ow," she moaned, and tried to pull herself to her feet while inspecting the damage. A cut on both her knees and a skinned forearm. Leaf had had worse.

Then, there was a very odd noise.

Leaf blinked and looked up from her bleeding forearm. Her eyes went dramatically wide. "Oh," she said in a small voice.

At least five furry yellow gorilla things surrounded her. They each carried a swinging pendulum, and were gazing at her down their large noses. The yellow baby elephant stood behind one of them, hiding from her.

"Hee," one of them growled, but Leaf did not see any mouths move.

Leaf grimaced. "Sorry?" she tried.

"HEE!" they all screamed, and Leaf was suddenly in unimaginable pain. Her head felt like it was going to explode, and she clutched her ears as she howled in agony. She squeezed her eyes shut, but despite that the world was a horrible, swirling purple. It felt as if her teeth would shatter. Her bones and muscles quivered beneath her skin. Her brain felt unnaturally hot.

Suddenly, the ground shook, and the spell was broken. Leaf collapsed the ground, gasping in pain. She managed to see the yellow gorillas through blurred vision. They were all looking at something, and they looked scared.

A very loud, low groan tore through the forest air. The trees shook with the sound of it, and several birds and insects flew into the sky. The yellow gorillas, however, seemed frozen with fear.

"Hee," one said. The others nodded in unison.

A tremor shook the earth, big enough to make Leaf bounce on the ground. The yellow gorillas fled.

Whatever this was, it could _not_ be good.

And then Leaf saw it.

It was a huge, groaning silhouette that was taller than the trees. As it approached—which it did much faster than Leaf would have liked—she could see it was blue, and had… cat ears?

"_SNOOOOORRRRR!_" it bellowed.

"Oh my God," Leaf gasped. She scrambled backwards across the leafy floor, but it did no good. Desperate, her eyes darted around for her pokeball. She had dropped it when the gorillas had attacked her. It now rested harmlessly on the ground, between her and the giant cat lumbering her way.

Without another thought, Leaf dove for the ball. It was her only weapon, and it wasn't much. The thing saw her move, and grew angry. Out of the corner of her eye, Leaf saw a giant paw come swooping out the sky. It collided with her side, and Leaf was suddenly flying. She hit the ground and miraculously managed to roll, but the pokeball flew from her grasp.

"Leaf?" Gary shouted. Leaf could not see him, but she knew that was his voice. "Leaf, move!"

She obeyed, crawling across the old leaves and bark. The cat thing took another step into the clearing, making the earth shake again.

There was a skidding sound, and something like lightning. The world flashed, and Gary was suddenly at her side. "Are you okay? What did you _do_ to wake up that thing?" he demanded.

"Like I know!" Leaf snapped.

Gary rolled his eyes. "Get that pokeball. Electivire!" he shouted, standing up. "Thunderbolt again!"

The Pokemon obeyed, and Leaf got to her feet. She ran over to the pokeball, grabbed it, and threw it with all her might at the giant blue cat.

And missed.

"What the hell kind of throw was that!" Gary yelled.

"It was my first time, cut me some slack!" replied Leaf heatedly.

Abruptly, the world flashed red, and the giant blue cat was gone.

Gary, Leaf, and Electivire stared at the spot it used to be, utterly confused. "You… you caught it?" Gary said in bewilderment.

Leaf hesitated. "I… suppose," she mumbled.

"Nope!" someone called.

Gary's brow furrowed. "You were supposed to go _the other way,_ Ash!" he snapped angrily.

Ash walked into the clearing, grinning as he spun the pokeball on his index finger. Pikachu rested on his shoulder, looking smug. "I didn't want to travel with the natives," he replied.

Misty appeared at his side, looking excited. "That was _so_ cool. It was huge! And you caught it! Just like that!"

"Pika!" Pikachu agreed.

"_I_ caught it," Leaf stated indignantly.

"Sorry, but this is _my _pokeball," Ash informed her. He held it up for her to see. "It's an ultra ball, actually. Ensures maximum chance of capture. You threw a normal red and white pokeball."

"That should be our catch, Ash," Gary replied. "We were fighting it."

"Ah, but life's not fair, is it?" Ash said happily. "I couldn't let you get a Snorlax just like that. Not after I spent a whole year in this country searching for one."

"You don't _need_ anymore Pokemon," Leaf said.

"And you're past the legal limit, aren't you?" added Gary.

Ash shook his head. "Pikachu, Bayleef, Charizard, and now Snorlax. Drew and May have the Luxray, _you_ have Torterra and Magmortar, leaving me with only four Pokemon." Ash smirked. "And you're supposed to be smart."

Gary scowled. "Where's Dawn?" he mentioned tersely.

Ash and Misty looked around. Suddenly, Ash swore and spun around, plunging back into the trees.

Gary laughed. "This is war, Ash Ketchum!" he called after the retreating teenagers.

Leaf, meanwhile, had found her pokeball. "Gary," she said nervously, "isn't it supposed to break if it doesn't catch something?"

"Yes," Gary replied, glancing at her over his shoulder. "Why?"

Timidly, Leaf held up the fully intact pokeball for him to view.

Immediately Gary was at her side, staring at the ball in shock. "Whoa," he breathed. "You caught something!"

"I hope it wasn't one of those yellow gorillas," Leaf grumbled.

"What?" Gary asked, giving her a look. Then he shook his head. "Never mind. Open it, let's see what you got!"

Biting her lip, Leaf tossed the pokeball into the clearing. It broke open in the air, releasing a flash of white light before jumping back to her hand.

A small pink ball was suddenly glaring furiously at the two of them.

"What is _that?_" Gary wondered.

"Jiggly!" the thing squeaked angrily. It folded its stubby little arms and glowered at them. It tapped its microphone angrily.

"It's… pink," Leaf said. "And it's cute."

At the word 'cute,' the pink ball brightened. "Jiggly?" it queried, its eyes shining.

"Very cute," Gary added, sensing this was a good direction to head. He suddenly remembered the Pokedex he had received from Professor Rowan and hurried to pull it out of his pocket.

"_Jigglypuff, the balloon Pokemon,_" the Dex stated in a computerized voice. "_When it wavers its big, round eyes, it begins singing a lullaby that makes everyone drowsy_."

"Jigglypuff!" the Pokemon repeated happily. It raised its microphone, taking a deep breath.

Leaf jumped forward and placed her hand over the microphone. Instantly the ball was mad, but Leaf put on her best smile. "Jigglypuff," she said gently, "if you sing, and put us to sleep, how will we enjoy how cute you are?"

The Pokemon's eyes grew wide with understanding, and it smiled. "Jiggly!" it cried, and it latched onto Leaf's neck like a leech.

Gary arched an eyebrow at the sudden adoring behavior. "Well we're off to a good start," he mumbled.

***AN: Warning: long AN ahead. **

**I did not edit from like the Hypno part down, so if there are any errors, tell me please. Also, I'm back after over a month of silence! Yes, I finished NaNoWriMo (with three days to spare) and I had a lot of fun. It was the first totally original piece of work I've ever completed. **

**In my 500 freestyle, which I like to update you guys on whenever I do well, I swam a 5:55. That is ANOTHER huge drop from my 6:04 time from March, which had not been beaten until the State Meet this year, where I did that awesome time. Also, my 200 free is now a 2:13, my 100 is a 1:03.22, and my 50 is a 29.3. I am quite proud of this year, to say the least. **

**My grandma on my mom's side is here. She's from Syria, and it's SO fun cuz she doesn't speak English very well. School is fine. I'm rockin' three AP classes and not doing my US History homework. Fun stuff. Also, I finally saw _V for Vendetta._ Good movie. **

**I'll try and get the next chapter out ASAP. And I will never do an AN this long ever again.***


	9. Chapter 9

_Nine_

Ash paraded through the trees, brandishing his new Snorlax in its pokeball with a terrific grin on his face. Misty and Dawn trailed behind him, looking quite bored.

"I can't believe I missed the giant sumo-wrestling cat," Dawn grumbled.

"Don't worry," Misty assured her in an equally disappointed tone. "With the look he's wearing, you can count on seeing it a lot."

"We got ourselves a Snorlax!" Ash said happily, scratching Pikachu's chin. "How great is this, buddy?"

"Chaa!" Pikachu replied. His eyes closed and he leaned into Ash's affectionate hand.

"So where are we going?" Misty demanded.

Ash glanced back at the two girls, blinking. "Oh, uh, well, we're heading towards Diglett's Cave right now. If we just keep walking, we'll wind up in Lavender Town. From there, we can either go to Saffron or take a long one-way route to Cerulean." He returned his gaze to the path ahead. "Whichever you prefer." Unexpectedly, Ash turned around again and started walking backwards. "Or we could go through Diglett's cave and come out near Viridian. It's a bit redundant, and I don't know how much faster it is, but it _is_ an option."

"Let's stay out of caves," growled Misty.

Ash shrugged. "Whatever. I've already scoured every inch of this country, so any way is fine by me."

"Why is every city in this place named after colors?" Dawn wondered disinterestedly.

"Themes, Dawn, themes," Ash answered philosophically.

They fell into silence, the two girls lagging slightly behind Ash. After a few minutes, the quiet was broken by Misty. "So how long does it take to get to this place?" she asked impatiently.

Ash exchanged a look with Pikachu. "Six hours?" he guessed. The yellow mouse nodded in agreement.

Misty sighed. "Isn't there a faster way? I hate being outside."

Shocked, Ash stopped in his tracks and whipped his head around. "You hate being outside?" he repeated, flabbergasted.

"She hates bugs," Dawn explained. "And she hates being anywhere where bugs are."

At this, Ash laughed. "Oh, you're in for a treat, Misty," he said happily. He turned back around and continued walking.

"I don't trust him," Misty muttered.

"Neither do I," Dawn admitted. She was watching Ash's back with utmost scrutiny. "No one laughs like that and isn't plotting something."

Misty raised an eyebrow at the blunette next to her. "How would you know?" she questioned.

"You know those girls who thought I stole their boyfriends last year?" Dawn began. "They laughed like that right before they threw paint at me."

Misty blinked. "But you did steal their boyfriends. In the plural form, I might add."

"That's beside the point," Dawn dismissed. "And anyways, their boyfriends approached _me._"

"Well maybe you—." Misty broke off with a terrified scream, backpedaling so fast she stumbled and fell.

Dawn glanced up and screamed as well. She hurried to hide behind Misty, panicking.

Ash, meanwhile, lowered the giant caterpillar and laughed like an immature little kid. "You should have seen your faces!" he cackled. He brandished the enormous insect again. "It's only a Caterpie!"

The Caterpie blinked its huge eyes and started squirming, trying to get out of Ash's grasp.

"Oh _sure,_" Misty snapped, though her tone was laced with fear. "_Only_ a ginormous caterpillar as big as my head. Nothing to be scared of!"

"Let it go, Ash!" Dawn begged. "It's so gross!"

Finally, Ash released the writhing caterpillar. It scampered away into the underbrush and disappeared from sight.

Ash turned and grinned at them. "You're such girls," he said happily. He gave Pikachu a high five and began walking away again.

"We're going to have to kill him," Misty murmured.

Dawn nodded in agreement, and the two girls followed after him.

* * *

><p>They reached Lavender Town as the sky was beginning to darken, just as Ash had predicted. Along the way they had seen numerous wild Pokemon, along with several Trainers who were either lounging on the road or traveling it as well. Ash had tugged his hat down and instructed them not to make eye contact, and although Misty and Dawn had obeyed, they did not understand why.<p>

Lavender Town was small, with a large tower in the center of it. A few smaller buildings surrounded the tower, most of them privately owned shops. The rest of the town was residential. People milled about the streets, conversing with others they ran into as if they all knew each other.

"Gotta love Lavender Town," Ash said, smiling. He strolled down the sidewalk with his hands in his pockets and Pikachu on his shoulder. Misty and Dawn walked on either side of him, taking in the town.

"It's small," Misty commented.

Ash nodded. "They've remodeled since I've been here, though. It used to look a lot older." He pointed at the tower, looming above the town and stretching into the clouds. "Last time I was here, there were plans to turn that into a broadcasting tower. I think the people protested it, though, since it still looks the same." He gazed at her and grinned. "We should go there."

"Are there giant bugs?" Misty demanded, eyeing him warily.

"Nope!" Ash assured her. "Promise."

* * *

><p>The air of the Pokemon Tower was cold and clear, like stepping into an autumn chill. Misty zipped up her oversize sweatshirt and pulled the sleeves down over her hands. Dawn shivered in her short pink skirt and black tank top. "Why's it so cold?" she wondered as she hunched over. Her breath fogged before her. "It's like a freezer!"<p>

Their footsteps echoed eerily around them in the dark tower, and Misty and Dawn huddled closer to Ash. "This place is creepy," Misty murmured.

Ash and Pikachu remained somberly silent.

They crept as quietly as they could to a set of stairs and went up. The taps of their feet were unnaturally loud, as if the sound disturbed the peace.

Finally, they emerged at the top of the stairwell. Misty and Dawn froze.

"Are those… graves?" Misty whispered.

Ash nodded silently. He was not grinning, or being mischievous, but collected and serious. He walked carefully between the graves, not really looking at them. Dawn and Misty, on the other hand, read each stone with fervor. Each grave had the name of a Pokemon, if it had had one, along with its species and the name of its owner. Most of them had dates, a few had had messages engraved in them, and even fewer had flowers on them.

"Pokemon graves?" Dawn said quietly.

"Yes," Ash replied, keeping his voice low. "In this world, Pokemon are more than pets. They are best friends, family, lifelong companions even." They walked by a man kneeling before a grave, his head bowed as if in prayer. "Most people come and visit their Pokemon," Ash continued, glancing at the kneeling man, "but a lot of them forget." He looked at the expanse of graves, lonely and desolate. A few had dead flowers resting in front of them, but most were mere dust-covered stone.

"How sad," said Misty.

The kneeling man stood and left the grave. A biscuit of sorts rested on the stone, with colored spots that suggested berries. "What is it?" Dawn asked. She fell to her knees before the grave to examine the offering.

"It looks like a poffin," Ash remarked. "Weird. Poffins are a Sinnoh thing more than anything."

Dawn frowned as she stared at the muffin-like item. She was tempted to pick it up, but out of respect, she did not touch.

"Why did we come in here, Ash?" asked Misty. "It's depressing."

Ash gazed around the tower, contemplating. "Last time, I heard rumors about a Legendary Pokemon living here. I was hoping maybe we would run into it, and it would give us some more direction from the Legendary Council or whatever that was. It looks like those were just rumors though." He sighed. "Let's go." Abruptly, Ash stopped mid-step.

Dawn was not kneeling at the grave.

"Where did she go?" Ash wondered, looking around wildly. Suddenly, he spotted her. "There," he said, pointing. "Why is she running down the stairs?" There was a gentle tugging on the sleeve of his jacket, making him turn. "What, Misty?" he queried.

Misty was staring at the headstone, her face shocked and unblinking.

It took Ash a moment to read the grave, and another moment for the information to actually sink in. "Oh," he said simply.

Unexpectedly, Ash whipped around and bolted towards the stairs. Misty jumped at his suddenness and pelted after him, her breaths fogging the air before her as she ran. She could not believe what she had read. She couldn't believe it was actually _him._

Down the stairs and across the first room and Misty found herself bursting into a sudden onslaught of blinding light. Shielding her eyes and blinking spots from her vision, Misty staggered slightly. The scene she saw when her vision cleared made her weak-kneed again.

Ash was standing not far from her, his eyes wide and his mouth open in a disbelieving gape. Dawn was not twenty feet from him, latched protectively onto the arm of the kneeling man, her eyes watering with tears.

And Paul stood next to Dawn, trying to rid himself of her adamant grip.

"Let go of me, you freak!" Paul was nearly shouting. Several people who walked by gave them worried glances.

"Dawn, let him go," Ash ordered.

Dawn shook her head. "I can't," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "If I let go, they'll kill him."

"Dawn, it's not him," Ash stated plainly. "Look at him. Now let him go and come back over here." Pikachu beckoned as well, imitating his master.

It was at this moment that Misty happened to notice something… off. More off than Paul being alive and in this other universe.

Five men dressed in dark gray uniforms were appearing from the people walking about. They wore hats that they pulled low over their eyes, and each had a bright red R painted on his shirt. They stood tall and poised, with an air of professionalism about them. Misty knew she had seen them before, but her memory was hazy.

"Of course it's him!" Dawn insisted. "His name is _Paul!_"

"Look, lady, I don't know you," Paul snapped. He tugged his arm sharply, but failed to escape her grasp. "Now let go."

"Dawn, he's too young," Ash continued. "Look at his face."

"Ash," Misty said warily, inching towards him. She kept glancing around cautiously, not at all liking the men in uniforms that kept creeping closer. "Ash, we're surrounded."

Ash gave a small nod. "I know," he replied quietly.

"Is it because of us?" hissed Misty.

"No," Ash said, shaking his head slightly. "I think it's him." Louder, he called to Dawn, "Look, why don't we go somewhere else, and we can talk about this, okay?"

"There's nothing to talk about!" cried Paul, still trying unsuccessfully to wrench his arm away. "Now leave me alone before I call Officer Jenny!"

"What's going on?" one of the uniformed men murmured to his cohort. Misty watched them in her peripherals, trying not to make it obvious she could hear them.

"I don't know," the other replied. "They could be from a rival team."

"We can't shoot the target with all these people around," the first one pointed out.

The second one shrugged. "We could get rid of them all," he suggested. "The boss won't care."

Misty's breath caught as she heard this. Ash had apparently heard it as well, because he took a few steps closer to Paul and Dawn. "Listen," he said in a low voice, "we need to leave. Like, _now._ Do you two understand, or am I talking to a couple of Psyducks?"

"As long as Paul comes," Dawn answered.

"I'm not going _anywhere_, now LET GO!" Paul shouted.

Out of the corner of her eye, Misty saw one of the men flash something red and white. She glanced at Ash, and his form tensed. Suddenly he spun around, throwing something at the man with enough force to knock the man backwards. It hit him in the chin, making him stagger. The man swore and immediately the others began pulling out pokeballs, while the one Ash had thrown broke open and revealed Charizard. "Run!" Ash commanded. "Charizard, Flamethrower! Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"

Without hesitating, Ash grabbed Misty and started running. Paul and Dawn were slower to react, but as soon as the fire got going, they came to their senses enough to flee. The four of them sprinted until they were out of Lavender Town, where they collapsed in a panting heap on the side of the path.

Paul was the first to fight his way to his feet, not quite recovered from their mad dash. "Are you… insane?" he panted, and he swayed slightly on his feet.

Ash did not even bother lifting his head. "Don't worry," he assured him, staring up into the canopy of the trees. "Pikachu and Charizard will come back."

"But you just attacked them!" cried Paul. "Out of the blue! And then you _kidnapped _me—."

"For your own safety," Ash replied, raising one hand off the ground to stop him.

"Ash, how did they find us?" Misty questioned. She pulled herself up into a sitting position, but her chest still heaved with the effort from running. She thought about how many times her swim coach back in their universe had told her to run for cross training, and she bitterly regretted not listening to him.

Dawn was lying on her side, supported by her arm, watching Ash for an answer. "They… they can't know we're here already," she breathed. "They can't even know who we are!"

Finally, Ash sat up, and he looked at Paul sternly. Paul folded his arms and scowled back, as he was not about to be outdone. "I think they were after you," he said plainly.

Paul narrowed his coal black eyes. "Why," he asked, though it hardly sounded like a question.

It was Ash's turn to look skeptical. "You don't know?" he inquired.

Paul shrugged and shook his head.

"I see." Ash got to his feet and dusted himself off. "Then I can assume you haven't done anything to anger the Kanto government?"

Again, Paul shook his head.

Nodding, Ash turned to Dawn, who was now standing and straightening out her skirt. "Dawn, come here," he instructed, beckoning her. Obediently, Dawn came, stepping to where she stood beside him. Ash grabbed her shoulders and turned her so she was facing Paul straight on. "Look," he said, "this is not _our_ Paul."

Dawn blinked at the scowling Paul, then at Ash. "But they look exactly the same!" she cried. "Are they related?"

Ash shook his head. "This," he said, pointing, "is definitely Paul. Except he's… how old are you?"

Paul could not have looked more confused. "…Sixteen," he said hesitantly.

"There," Ash remarked. "He's much younger than the Paul we know."

"Younger?" Paul repeated, confused.

Dawn continued to stare at him. "But it can't be," she said, but it sounded as if even she did not believe her delusion anymore. "It _has_ to be."

"Why were they after me?" Not Paul asked suddenly.

Ash gazed at him. "What?" he questioned, as if he had not heard the question.

"The Team Rocket people," Not Paul elaborated. He grimaced slightly, as if despising himself for speaking civilly. "Why were they after me?"

"Not a clue," Ash said cheerily. There was a rushing of wings, and he looked up. A great orange dragon descended from the heavens with a yellow mouse on its back. "Oh, they're back. Return, Charizard." Pikachu leapt off the dragon's back just before the red light absorbed it, and it scampered up to Ash's shoulder. "Well, guess we'd better get going."

Not Paul looked utterly bewildered. "You're leaving?" he exclaimed. "Just like that?"

"Just like that?" Dawn cried as well, but in a much higher voice.

"Yeah," Ash replied. He looked at her as if this were obvious. "We need to head to Cerulean and challenge the Gym Leader there."

"You can't do that," Paul told him.

"Oh?" Arching an eyebrow, Ash stepped towards Paul. He seemed to be enjoying being taller than the stony boy. "And why's that?" he asked in a mocking tone.

Paul was not fazed. "First of all," he began, and he gestured around them, "it's dark. And every Trainer knows it's stupid to travel at night. And second, Cerulean has no Gym Leader."

Ash paused. "What do you mean, it has no Gym Leader?"

"She went missing a month ago," Paul explained, his expression not changing. "People have been asking for a replacement, but the League has refused. So there are only seven Gyms right now."

"Why would the League refuse?" Ash wondered, confused.

Paul shrugged. "How should I know?" he grumbled. "But because she's gone, I can't get that badge."

Ash suddenly grew very excited. "You have badges?" he exclaimed. "How many!"

Unnerved, Paul leaned away from him. "One," he said, eyeing him carefully.

"Dang it," Ash breathed. "What kind of Trainer only has one badge?"

Paul glared at him. "One who is just starting the Indigo League, you idiot."

Ash sighed angrily and tore his eyes away from Paul. "Fine," he said after a long while. "We'll sleep here, and then we'll go to Cerulean in the morning."

"Why not just go to the town?" Misty asked. "It's like, twenty feet away."

"Because," Ash said tersely, "Team Rocket will be looking for us there. And we don't want them to find us. Especially him." He pointed at Paul accusingly.

Paul gave Ash a scrutinizing look. "Do…" he began, but he faded out warily. "Do you know something about me?"

Misty looked at Ash, and a smirk curled on her boyfriend's lips. "You bet I do," he said superiorly.

"What?" demanded Paul.

"If I told you," Ash replied with amusement in his voice, "then that would defeat the scenario of me knowing and you not."

Paul's eyes flicked to Dawn. "What about her?" he queried. "Why did she latch onto me earlier? You said I was too young. Are you guys from the future?"

Misty tried not to laugh, but after a moment she decided the idea was really not that absurd. After all, hadn't she come from a parallel universe?

"_Don't,_" Ash warned to Dawn without turning around. Dawn closed her mouth and stepped back. "We can't tell him anything."

Misty found this odd. Why not? They had told Steven and Zoey, right?

"Then I'm coming with you," Paul stated.

"Very well," Ash agreed, and his response was so quick that Paul was taken aback. "But understand one thing. _I,_" he said, pointing at himself, "am in charge. Got it?"

Paul blinked, and Misty marveled at how strange it was to see him so short. He actually looked intimidated by Ash. But with a quick shake of his head, he recovered. "Whatever," he snapped.

Ash looked decidedly smug. "Good."

***AN: IMPORTANT! Or at least, mildly. **

**I didn't like Dawn too much, but I don't know how else she would have reacted. Anyways, after this story, I don't think I will do another BIG Pokemon story. I do, however, have lots of have-finished Pokemon stories that I want to work on, so don't fret! **

**I want to work on a Doctor Who story next. There are also some Prince of Tennis ideas I'd like to do, and I recently came up with an original plot I would like to work towards. But this fic is far from over, so no need to worry. I just had to tell you something before I forgot. **

**Also, if you saw the new Sherlock Holmes, check out my little oneshot I put up yesterday. DO NOT READ IT if you haven't seen the movie. Or unless you really, really like spoilers.***


	10. Chapter 10

_Ten_

Drew scowled at his map. "So all we do is beat this Gym, and then it's a long walk to Viridian." He folded it up again. "Once again, they have put me in the worst job." Drew glanced at May, and sighed. "_Why_ are you so mad at me?" he cried.

May remained silent.

"If you don't tell me, this is going to be way more of a pain than it needs to," Drew went on.

Her eyes flicked to him with fire burning in them. "So you _really_ don't know?" she said quietly.

Drew pursed his lips nervously. He did not like that look in her eyes. It was frighteningly similar to the look he had seen in Paul's eyes just before he pulled the trigger.

"You," May said in a dangerous murmur, "are a murderer."

Drew wanted to point out that no, he wasn't, and that her father had killed more people than Drew had ever pointed a gun at, but he kept quiet.

"And a liar," she continued. Drew winced. That was something he could not argue. "And I don't like that."

May fell silent, and Drew saw it as an opportunity to patch things up. "Well—."

"And, while we're at it," May interrupted casually, "let's throw in the fact that you're a player, a thief, and a jerk." She wrinkled her nose. "And you stink."

Drew frowned and sniffed his arm, suddenly self conscience. "Not much I can do about that last one right now," he admitted with a chuckle.

May flashed him a murderous glare, and Drew faltered.

"A-anyways," Drew tried, regaining his confidence, "I'm not… technically… a murderer. I've never actually killed anyone. Unless they died of the wounds later on, but I wouldn't know about that." May was about to speak, but Drew plowed on. "And I'm not _that_ big of a player. I just… go on lots of dates. But since I have a girlfriend," he nodded at her, "I won't be doing that."

"Still a liar," May repeated.

"I was getting to that one," he said angrily. "Yes, I lie, because I do it for a living. And lying is not the same as refusing to answer. They can kill you for lying. If you don't talk, they won't shoot you as easily." Drew took a deep breath. "I don't steal very much. Only when it's necessary." He paused, thinking back to make sure he had covered all he had been accused of. "Personally, I don't think I'm a jerk, but I'm sorry anyways. Sorry for everything."

May eyed him carefully, as if doubting his honesty.

Drew rolled his eyes. "Can you just _try_ to believe me? At least until this is all over?"

"Fine," May conceded, drawing out the lone syllable. She looked at him, and Drew realized how tired she was. It seemed being mad all the time made one weary. "Where is this stupid Gym?"

Hesitant, Drew pulled out his map again. "Oh, great," he said in annoyance. "The map is the whole country, not each town."

"So we don't know," May concluded.

"How hard can it be to find?" Drew retorted. "It's a giant Gym. I bet if we just start walking, we won't miss it."

It took two hours of wandering the city before Drew finally gave up. "All right, so I'm not as directionally inclined as I thought I was," he snapped angrily. He was frustrated from their fruitless wandering, and as a result his hair was a disaster.

May smirked. "I could have told you that and saved us two hours."

After asking the first person they saw for directions, the two found themselves at the Vermillion City Gym. The architecture was meant to look like lightning bolts, striking from the ground up into the sky. May and Drew stared up at it, admiring the structure.

Drew removed his pokeball from his pocket and kissed its Sharpie-d surface. "Well, Roserade," he said, "let's see what we can do."

Inside the Gym was quite empty. A dirt field with bleachers on either side of it took up most of the floor space. Just inside the entrance was a sort of lobby, where three military buffs lounged, drinking soda from cans. They looked up as Drew and May entered, and the man sitting on the couch stood up. He was dressed in a green tank top that outlined his hardened muscles, combat boots, camouflage pants, dog tags, and a pair of sunglasses. He lowered the sunglasses, revealing his eyes, and his lips twisted into a playful smirk. "Well lookie here," he said to his friends. "Pretty boy, eh?"

If Drew was offended, he did not show it. "Are you this Gym's Leader?" he asked.

The man let out a laugh. "Am I? Boy, I am Lt. Surge! Damn right I'm the Leader!"

"Then I challenge you."

At this, all three of them laughed. Drew narrowed his eyes, and May grimaced. "Pretty boy, are you sure about that?" Lt. Surge asked. "I don't think you know what you're up against!"

Drew narrowed his eyes. May could see him flexing his fists and just _itching_ to pick the fight, but he glanced at her and restrained himself. "I… just want a Gym badge."

Surge arched an eyebrow. "Bit old to be on the Circuit, ain't cha?"

"I'm on a tight schedule," Drew snapped, folding his arms. "Can we get to the battle?"

The two cronies behind Surge exchanged a glance. Apparently no one was ever so blunt with them. Surge himself folded his arms, his face set in a serious expression. "We do three Pokemon," he stated. "Whoever has their three out first is the loser. Clear?"

"Crystal," Drew replied with a nod. He turned to May. "I'm going to need Torchic."

May stared at him. "Why?"

"Because I only have two."

Surge frowned at him. "You're challenging for a badge and you only have two Pokemon?"

"They're good Pokemon," Drew assured him as May handed him Torchic from her pocket. He looked at the lieutenant. "Ready?"

Surge gave him a curt nod, and they walked into the arena.

* * *

><p>"Challenger Drew versus Leader Lt. Surge," announced one of Surge's cronies, a flag in his hand. May glanced at Drew: an unmarked pokeball rested in his hand, his pose was hunched and defensive. Lt. Surge stood tall and confident, his arms folded across his broad chest. He held his pokeball casually, like this was an everyday thing.<p>

May blinked. It probably was.

The crony looked between the two fighters, and finally dropped the flag. "Begin!"

"Go Luxray!" cried Drew.

"Electrode, go!" the lieutenant screamed.

The balls opened with flashes of white light, and suddenly there was a giant blue cat facing off with an enormous pokeball. May stared in confusion. Surely the giant pokeball wasn't a Pokemon.

Drew whipped his Pokedex out of his back pocket. "Um… Crunch!" he cried, reading off the tiny screen.

The Luxray did not seem to hear him. Lt. Surge laughed. "Your Pokemon doesn't listen to you!" he cackled. "Sure, good Pokemon you've got there. Electrode, Shock Wave!"

The Electrode began to gleam, and a spark of blue energy shot from it and nailed Luxray straight on the forehead. The cat yowled furiously, its body quivering and crackling from the attack. Then it glanced back at Drew, as if to say, "See?"

Drew sagged. "So you can't use Crunch on that, okay. Discharge!"

The Luxray reared, giving an almighty roar. Its fur was alive with sparks and lightning, so much so that it glowed. The energy was released so fast, May almost didn't see it, but it left a trail of lightning crawling across the ground, along with a dazed Electrode.

"Electrode, Double Team!" Lt. Surge screamed.

The Electrode blinked dazedly. Luxray bounded forward, a yellow spark forming in its maw. Abruptly, the Electrode multiplied. Luxray screeched to a halt, suddenly surrounded by hundreds of the ball Pokemon. The spark died in its throat, and it looked around in confusion. Drew seized the opportunity and shouted, "Discharge again!"

Surprisingly, the great cat obeyed. This time, May saw the electric pulse emanate from Luxray. Electrode's cloning defense was shattered with the impact of the attack, and it was once again left blinking and rolling about.

"Spark, Luxray!" Drew cried. "Finish it!"

"Light Screen!" ordered Surge.

The spark that shot from Luxray's mouth was swallowed up by a transparent shield that suddenly appeared in front of Electrode.

"With a bit more pizazz than that, come on!" Drew called.

Luxray swung its head around to glare at him, as if questioning Drew's sanity. While it was distracted, Electrode managed to recover, and hit the cat with a Thunder Wave attack.

The great cat buckled with the attack, wincing. "Roar!" yelled Drew. "Use Roar!"

"Shock Wave!" said Surge.

Before Luxray could open its jaws, another wave of electricity crashed into it, paralyzing it even further. It kept trying to force its jaws open, but the sparks crawling across its fur kept its muscles from functioning. Drew continued to yell commands, but nothing helped. Lt. Surge fired attack after attack, and finally the Luxray could take it no more. Its knees gave out, and the cat collapsed in a sparking heap.

Drew returned it immediately and brought out his hand decorated pokeball. "Roserade, go!" he exclaimed.

"Don't you have any native Pokemon?" the lieutenant complained.

"Magical Leaf!" Drew commanded, pointing dramatically.

Roserade spun, sending glowing leaves at its opponent. The worn Electrode did not have the energy to dodge, and the attack took it out instantly.

Sneering with disappointment, Surge pulled out another pokeball. "Then let's see what you make of this!" he exclaimed.

Drew sagged when the Pokemon appeared. "Another Electrode? Come on, man, get some variety!" He looked at Roserade. "Stun Spore and Mega Drain combo."

Roserade leapt into the air, twirling, before it landed a few feet in front of Electrode. It waved its roses, sending out a glowing cloud of pollen, while its eyes glowed and beads of light seemed to float away from Electrode.

"Screech!" ordered Surge.

The Electrode let out an earsplitting shriek, and Roserade was blown back, as was its pollen and glowing beads of light.

"Now, Self Destruct!" Surge went on.

"Are you crazy?" Drew cried.

Electrode jumped closer to Roserade as its circular form began to glow forebodingly. Suddenly there was an explosion, like a bomb had gone off. When the smoke cleared, Electrode was passed out on the field, and Roserade stumbled about, clearly hurt.

Surge returned his second Electrode. "Now, pretty boy," the army man chuckled, "my crown jewel." He hurled as third pokeball. "Go Raichu!"

A golden colored rat with a thin, lightning shaped tail appeared on the field. It flickered with power, sparks flying from its yellow cheeks. Drew stared at it. "Looks like Pikachu," he stated.

"Of course it does, it _evolves_ from that!" Surge snapped. "Now, Raichu, let's give him a little taste of our abilities, hm?" He smirked evilly. "Thunder Wave."

"Magical Leaf!" Drew cried desperately.

Roserade's sorrowful attempt was disintegrated when the wave of lightning came rolling towards it. The leaves evaporated, and the Pokemon was hit with a crippling blow.

"Giga Drain!" Drew tried. "And dodge everything!"

Roserade started running, jumping over the electric waves that scuttled across the floor. It managed to send its life sapping attack at Raichu, and glowing beads of light flew from the electric rat to the plant. Roserade started to recover, and Raichu started to weaken. It was just a little, but it was enough.

"Roserade, Frenzy Plant!" ordered Drew.

Roserade skidded to a halt and raised its rosy arms. Vines shot out of the floor and came flying towards Raichu. The rat froze, too shocked to get out of the way, and was hit full force.

Raichu was knocked on its back and sent skidding across the field. Roserade panted with effort, wiping at its face with one leafy arm. It glared at its foe, unsure if it was really unconscious.

"Thunderbolt!" Lt. Surge suddenly shouted.

Raichu jumped to its feet, and then there was a brilliant flash. When May blinked the spots from her vision, she saw Roserade was on its back, unconscious. Raichu was on all fours, struggling to stay up but smirking with victory.

Drew could not conceal his worry. Slowly he returned his smoking Roserade and replaced the ball in his pocket. He withdrew his third and final Pokemon, not taking his eyes off of Surge. "Go," he said flatly, "Torchic."

When Torchic appeared, it had all the confusion and wonder in its eyes of a newborn infant. It looked back at Drew and waved its little orange wing happily. "Tor!" it chirped.

Drew motioned for it to turn around.

Torchic blinked and cocked its head, but it turned around nonetheless.

And found a giant, sparking mouse looming over it.

Torchic puffed up with fear, making a strange chocking noise. Raichu raised one massive paw to hit the quivering bird, but when it swung, Torchic had leapt nimbly out of the way.

Raichu scowled and tried again. Torchic jumped once more, still emitting terrified noises. Abruptly Raichu growled, and Torchic bolted, saying something that sounded like, "_Chichichichichichichichi!_"

Raichu lumbered after it, its teeth bared. Torchic flapped its wings uselessly, scurrying around the entire Gym.

Lt. Surge laughed loudly. "What the hell is this?" he howled. "Your Torchic… it's a… well it's a Torchic!"

Drew seethed at the realization that Surge was in fact calling his chicken Pokemon a chicken. But as he glanced back at the ensuing goose chase, Drew noticed that Raichu was starting to fall behind. Its panting was getting heavier, its steps slower. Torchic was pulling away.

About the same time, Surge noticed too.

"Raichu," the lieutenant screamed, "pick up the pace! You can catch that thing!"

Torchic happened to glance back, and it paused in its fleeing. "Tor?" it asked in confusion.

Raichu crawled towards it, huffing furiously. It raised one menacing paw again, only to have it fall back down. The rat's head dropped, and it collapsed on the field. Torchic stared at its unconscious pursuer, blinking uncertainly. It scampered towards Raichu and pecked it concernedly. "Tor?"

"Challenger Drew is… the victor," announced Surge's crony.

The Gym was silent, until Drew let out a whoop. "Yeah!" he shouted. "I won!"

Torchic jumped at his outburst and hid behind the fallen body of Raichu. Of course, Lt. Surge soon returned it, leaving Torchic exposed to whatever threats remained in the Gym. "Yes, you did," Surge confirmed. "Get over here and I'll give you your badge."

May clapped and gave a small cheer. Drew grinned widely at her, and she remembered she was mad at him. "Get your badge, Mr. Overconfidence," she told him.

* * *

><p>Drew kept pulling out his badge and admiring it. "I don't understand why they call it Thunder Badge," he stated, squinting at it in the setting sun. "It looks like a sunflower."<p>

Torchic dozed on May's shoulder, its head resting against hers. "That's nice," she said.

"Are you still mad at me?" Drew asked timidly, slipping his badge back in his pocket.

"I guess you're not a killer," May admitted. She grinned. "But you still stink."

"I'll take care of that at the Pokemon Center, all right?" Drew retorted angrily. To his surprise, May held out her hand. He stared at it a moment before grasping it in his own, uncertain if she meant it. But Drew soon relaxed, enjoying the idea of holding her hand like couples should. It wasn't something he usually did. He made a mental note to do it more often.

"So we spend the night here tonight, and leave tomorrow?" May inquired.

"Yeah," Drew confirmed. He gave her hand a small squeeze. "We can use the ridiculously long walk to train Torchic."

At the mention of its name, Torchic blinked blearily and gave a soft coo. It then snuggled back into May's hair and dropped off into sleep again.

** *AN: Happy New Year! I meant to do a Christmas update, but you guys got a Rudolph parody instead. If you have any interest, go check it out. I thought I did a good job. **

**I have renewed my love for _Tintin_ thanks to the movie, meaning I have a HUGE Tintin fic planned. I recommend you all go see the movie and read the comics, because I LOVE both. I was raised on the comics. My mom even has them in Arabic from when she was a kid. We're a family of Tintin enthusiasts.***


	11. Chapter 11

_Eleven_

Gary and Leaf were quite unfortunate.

It seemed that everyone they looked at demanded they have a Pokemon battle. Gary was utterly confused by this, and all the Trainers they encountered refused to _not_ battle them. They claimed that not battling was against the rules, and if they refused, it was a forfeit, and by that mark Gary and Leaf owed money to their opponent.

When the two finally crawled into Fuchsia City, they were exhausted, and had no conscious Pokemon on them.

"I don't get it," Gary said tiredly as he handed his Pokemon to Nurse Joy. "Why did _everyone _have to battle us?"

Leaf was just as tired as he was, and could provide no sufficient answer. Nurse Joy looked at him. "Well, did you make eye contact?" she wondered.

Gary stared at her, his eyes barely open. "What does that have to do with anything?" he asked.

"League rules state that any Trainer with who eye contact is made whilst on the road must be battled. If one Trainer refuses, it is considered a forfeit and he or she owes their opponent half of their on hand money." The nurse frowned at him. "Haven't you read the rule book?"

Gary rolled his eyes. "Should I have?"

Nurse Joy nodded. "Don't you do a report on it in fourth grade?" She paused. "Or is it fifth?"

"We're new here," Gary told her, putting on a wan smile. "Any other ridiculous rules I should know about?"

The nurse pondered this for a moment. "Well, if any Trainer is challenged to a battle, they must accept. Within city limits, however, they have the right to refuse, but it's considered unsportsmanlike. So if you ever refuse a battle, you better have a good excuse." Nurse Joy handed him a room key. "That's all I can think of. So, here's your room key. Sleep tight!"

Gary blinked as the nurse headed into the back room. "Okay," he sighed.

* * *

><p>Leaf and Gary had just settled into their beds, thankful for the peace and quiet of the Center, when Gary's Pokedex rang.<p>

Gary let out an unearthly groan and got up, muttering curses the whole way to his backpack. "What?" he demanded when he finally answered it.

Leaf sat up and rubbed her eyes, yawning loudly. "Shouldn't have told them to call you," she mumbled sleepily.

The face of Steven blinked from the screen. "Oh, hey, sorry," he said. "I forgot to call earlier, but whatever. So, anyways, Zoey got the Celadon City badge today. It was an awesome battle. Her Gallade was like, _whoosh,_ and then Erika's Gloom was like, _Glooooooom!_ And then she—."

"Is that it?" Gary snapped.

Steven faltered. "Um, yeah, pretty much," he said sheepishly. "We're heading to Saffron tomorrow. Should be in Viridian in three or four days."

"Brilliant. You're ahead of the curve." Gary felt his eyes drooping. "Good night," he said, and he hung up.

"Say hi to Steven for me," Leaf called tiredly.

"Sure, whatever." Gary was halfway back to his bed, already dreaming of laying his head on his pillow, when his Pokedex rang again. He swore loudly and practically fell down on his bag as he answered it. "Yes?" he said, his politeness strained to the umpteenth degree.

"Hey Gary," said Drew, grinning. He was holding a small, shiny pin. "Look who got the Vermillion Gym badge!" he cried happily.

Gary had face palmed long ago, and his fingers were now sliding down his face. "Great," he grumbled. "Congratulations. Is that all?

"Well, no, actually," Drew admitted. "See, May and I were wondering if, when Torchic evolves, will it be able to use Fly? Because we really don't want to walk all the way to Viridian with nothing to do."

"Tell them to meet us here," Leaf called, only half conscious.

Drew lit up. "That's a great idea! We'll head to Fuchsia in the morning! But back to my original question—."

"No idea," Gary said. "I was a Sinnoh specialist. No Torchic in Sinnoh. Now good night."

"Wai—!" Drew tried, but Gary had already pressed the button.

"Finally," the researcher sighed. He had nearly stood up when, lo and behold, the dex rang a third time. Gary collapsed in defeat and answered it. "Hello?" he said, his voice muffled from being pressed against his bag.

"Gary," Ash began enthusiastically, "you'll never guess what happened."

"You won a Gym badge," Gary mumbled.

Ash blinked. "No, dude, we're still in Lavender Town. But! We went to the Pokemon Tower, right? This place where they bury dead Pokemon. Anyways, we get there, and _guess who's there._"

Gary's head was now resting on his palm, sliding enough to make his cheek look like it was much higher than it was supposed to be. "Marilyn Monroe," he guessed.

"Nope!" Ash replied, and Gary doubted he had even heard his answer. "Paul!"

Suddenly Gary was very awake. "What do you mean, Paul?" he demanded.

"Not our Paul," Ash went on, "but a Paul from this, er, you know. _Place._ He's sixteen and totally Paul. Dawn even mistook him for the real thing." Abruptly Ash looked away from the dex camera. "Not to say you aren't real, man, I mean, you're totally real." He glanced back at the screen. "I didn't tell him anything, okay?" he informed Gary, as if to fend off a scolding.

Gary, however, was barely listening. "If it's Paul," he breathed, "then… what if your theory is correct?"

Ash pursed his lips. "You know, why don't you talk to Paul?" he said quickly, and before Gary could blink the phone was showing someone very familiar.

"Oh my God," Gary whispered. "It's him."

"So you know me too," the younger version of Paul stated, squinting at him. "Then tell me something. The blue girl—who is she?"

Gary paused. "Dawn is our friend."

"Yes, yes, I gathered that but… she seems… I don't know, familiar," Paul said finally. He hesitated. "In fact, you do too. You and Ash. The ginger girl, she's new to me, but I swear I recognize you."

Suddenly the phone changed hands again, and Gary was looking at Ash. "I have a question for you," Ash stated. "Kanto had a water Gym Leader, right?"

Gary hesitated. "I… think so."

"Who was it?"

Gary shook his head. "How should I know? Grandpa only took me to Kanto a few times, and even then I only saw a little bit of their branch." He paused, remembering. "I met Lance. That's it." With a frown, he said, "You should know this better than any of us."

Ash grimaced. "Yeah, but my memory is a bit faulty."

"Convenient."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Ash yawned widely. "I'm tired. I'll call you tomorrow, like you said, all right?"

Gary sighed. "Sure. Good night." And he hung up. "Finally," he breathed.

* * *

><p>Gary was deeply asleep, happily dreaming of sinking into a giant marshmallow, when the sound of an air horn interrupted him.<p>

"Wake up!" yelled Drew, squeezing the horn again. "Time to challenge what's-her-face!"

Gary sat up as if shot from a spring. He reached out, snatched the horn from Drew, and fell back on the bed.

"Shame on you," Drew scolded, folding his arms. Gary closed his eyes and pretended not to hear him. "You're supposed to have a Gym Badge by now, you lazy scientist!"

"Why don't you go get it?" Gary groaned, only half audible beneath his blankets. "You're here, aren't you?"

Drew sighed. "But I don't _want_ to," he complained. "Now get up! Nurse Joy won't serve you pancakes past noon, and you've only got fifteen minutes till then."

Gary forced his bloodshot eyes open and glared at the green haired man standing over him. "How did you get here so fast, anyway?" he snapped.

"I stole a car," Drew said proudly. He grinned. "Actually, May stole a car. She knows how to hotwire an engine. How great is that?"

"Mm," Gary said, already resting back on the pillow. "And how did you convince her to do that?"

"I don't know, but as soon as I figure it out, I'm going to use it for everything," Drew replied with a grin. "Anyways, up!"

"The Badge can wait an hour. Go away," Gary groaned.

Grumbling, Drew left. Gary could not believe it. Shocked, but not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, he snuggled down into his blankets and closed his eyes.

Someone sat down on the edge of his bed, changing the slope of the mattress. Gary ignored it. Drew was probably back to bother him.

"Gary," called a feminine, not-Drew voice. A cool hand brushed some of his hair back. "You need to get up."

Gary remained where he lay stubbornly. "The fact that you are Leaf does not change how tired I am," he murmured.

"If you get up," Leaf began, "I'll make it worth your while."

"If I get up, Drew will make me do something I don't want to do," Gary replied.

Leaf sighed. "Well," she began, "I suppose I can battle for you. Since I know so much about it and likely won't get your Pokemon killed."

Gary opened his eyes and stared at her. "You wouldn't," he said sharply.

She poked his nose with a grin. "Then get up, you lazy boy!"

* * *

><p>Gary won the battle quite easily. Janine was talented, but she was young and inexperienced. Thus, the author shall not bore you with all the details, especially not after the last chapter being all about a battle. Instead, she will move on to something much more intriguing.<p>

Fuchsia City is, as they say, a village that became modern. New companies and branches had moved into the formerly small, quiet town, such as a computer developing plant and a sugar factory. A boring, inconspicuous building with the letters KRA on the side resided in a newly developed section of the town, bordered by brand new sidewalks and pothole-free streets.

It was this such building that caught Drew's eye.

"Look at that," Drew stated, pointing. "I bet it's a government building."

"Probably," Gary replied, examining his new Soul Badge.

"I wonder what the acronym means," May said idly.

Leaf, with her hands on her hips, looked around the street and gave a sharp whistle. "You," she snapped with a nod.

Some innocent, glasses-wearing passerby jumped. "Me?" he replied.

"Yeah. What's KRA stand for?" she asked.

"Kanto Records Agency," the man stated.

"What do they do?" May queried.

The man blinked with fright. "That's where all the government records are kept." He swallowed. "Now goodbye!" He then scurried away, whimpering.

May frowned. "Was I too forward?" she questioned.

Drew, Leaf, and Gary all shook their heads. "All the government records," Drew repeated with awe, staring up at the building's gray face.

"That includes all the people living here," Gary stated. He looked away from his Badge and followed Drew's gaze. "Every. Single. Person." He glanced at Drew. "I need a favor."

Drew arched an eyebrow. "Aren't we short on time?"

"Trust me," Gary said. "It's important."

After a moment of contemplating, Drew shrugged. "I guess so."

Gary smiled in relief. "Thank you so much."

May stared at the two of them. "What's going on?" she demanded.

"I'm in," Leaf said.

"In _what?_" May wanted to know.

Leaf shrugged. "I don't know, but I bet it's illegal and awesome, so I'm all for it."

"Don't say stuff like that!" May cried.

"But you stole a car," Gary pointed out. Drew nodded affirmatively.

May blinked at them. "I—." She broke off. She clearly wanted to say something, but could not find the right words. Finally, she folded her arms and cast her gaze on the ground.

"So, are we hacking?" Drew asked. "Or do you actually need to get in there?"

Gary shrugged, squinting at the building. "Hacking should be enough. Although we can't waste Steven's money."

Drew pouted. "Can't we?" he pleaded.

"That's rude," May told him.

"So we steal a computer?" Leaf asked excitedly.

"Not so loud!" Gary hissed. "And yes, we do." He looked around. "There is a café," he said, pointing. "I'll be waiting there."

"So you're going to sit there while I do all the dirty work?" Drew questioned.

Gary nodded. "Of course," he replied. "You should take the girls with you, it will be educational." He was already strolling away.

"You don't outrank me, Gary!" Drew called after him. "You have no authority to order me around!"

"Aw, but you're such a good listener!" Gary responded loudly.

Drew sneered. "Fine," he mumbled. "Cocky little jerk." He looked at Leaf and May. "All right. Let's go steal a laptop. Preferably fully charged."

* * *

><p>"May, just… hold this."<p>

May reluctantly grabbed the cables he held out to her. "Sorry," she said.

Drew shrugged. "It's okay. You choked. No problem."

"But we could have had that laptop!" May went on.

"It's fine," Drew said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Just a… minor setback."

Leaf was still grinning, seated on the sofa with her feet up on the table. "You're never going to live this down, May," she stated happily.

May shot her a scowl, but it soon crumpled into an apologetic grimace. "I'm hopeless as a thief," she moaned.

"No, you're not," Drew hissed. "You just panicked. Happens to all of us. We just can never set foot inside that store again, or be seen anywhere near it, or run into any cops. Nothing too bad."

"But now we're breaking into a house!" May whispered. "It seems so much worse."

"It's not worse," Drew snapped, stepping around the desk and kneeling on the ground. "They left the window open. They were asking for it." He crawled under the desk and stretched, yanking out one of the plugs. "And there's the charger." He straightened up, bumped his head, sank back down, reversed out from under the desk, and finally straightened up. "Catch," he grumbled, tossing the cord to May while rubbing his head. "Leaf, where did you put the laptop?"

Leaf scooped the thin computer off the coffee table. "Right here," she said without getting up.

"Wonderful, let's go." Drew smoothed his hair back down and led them to the window again. "Don't," he warned, turning to the girls, "drop anything."

"Oh come on," Leaf replied, rolling her eyes. "Have a _bit _of faith."

Drew glanced at May uncertainly, then back to the window. He stuck one leg over the sill and outside, dropping to the ground. From inside the house, May and Leaf could see most of his torso and his head. "Come on," he called, holding out his hand.

Leaf smirked. "Ever the gentleman," she said, accepting it.

May pointedly looked the other way as Drew helped Leaf out of the window. "Coming, May?" Drew asked, extending his arm for her to grab.

Without much enthusiasm, May took his hand and stepped out of the window. When she was on the ground, Drew did not let go of her hand. "You make a pretty thief," he told her.

May blushed profusely as his lips grazed her cheek, especially when Leaf whistled. "Remember me when you start thinking about baby names," she told them.

"Remind me what Gary likes about you again?" Drew retorted, smirking at May's reddened cheeks.

Leaf rolled her eyes. "Uh, because I'm drop dead gorgeous?"

"Drop dead, certainly," Drew remarked. "But gorgeous isn't the term I would use."

May laughed, while Leaf folded her arms and nodded. "Touché," she replied. Then she spun around, grinning. "Come on, lovebirds! Gary is waiting!"

* * *

><p>Gary was found sitting on one of the couches in the café, his feet up on the low table before him while he drummed his fingers impatiently on the arm of the couch. As Drew, Leaf, and May entered, he glanced at his watch. "I expected a speedier job from you, Drew," he stated flatly.<p>

"We had some complications," Drew replied, cool as ever. He handed the laptop to the younger boy and sat down next to him. May and Leaf sat down together on one of the oversize chairs, perched on the edge. "Now I want to see what you're doing," he stated plainly.

Gary cast him a shifty glance. "I'd rather see it for myself before I show you," he said.

"I bust my ass to bring you that and you won't let me see what you need it for?" Drew snapped.

Gary grimaced and hesitated. "Well…" he said uncertainly, "bring me coffee?" he requested. He grinned halfheartedly, desperate to sell his act.

Drew scowled. "I'm not—."

"I want coffee too," Leaf announced.

Drew's posture sagged as he looked at her. "Really?" he replied. When Leaf nodded, he turned his gaze to May. "And what about you, do you want something?"

"I don't like coffee," May told him. "So… Italian soda?"

Gary paused. "Does this world have an Italy?" he wondered philosophically.

"Fine," Drew conceded. He stood up and left the three of them to go stand in the line at the counter.

The moment he was out of earshot, Gary flung open the laptop and began typing furiously. Leaf frowned. "What are you doing?" she question, and she stood to go sit with him.

"No," Gary ordered, lifting one hand to stop her. "Wait until I'm done, please. I… want to be sure of something myself before I tell you."

Dejected, Leaf sat back down and folded her arms. She glanced at May, expecting some sort of jeer, but May did not even seem to be paying attention.

Gary tapped furiously away on his keyboard, his eyes alight with the glow of the screen. Line upon line of characters raced across his vision, text that was complete gibberish to anyone but him. As he scanned the numbers and letters, his mind worked just as hard. He was deciphering the code for the Kanto Records Agency, and the key he was searching for was hidden in here somewhere…

Suddenly, he found it. He didn't know _how_ he knew that was it, but he did. A gift, Cynthia had called it. With speed and memory known only to computer wizards, Gary memorized the code and quickly retyped it where it needed to go. A large, outlined ACCESS GRANTED flashed across the screen, and a search bar appeared.

Here, Gary hesitated. His fingers hovered over the keys, afraid to touch. Where to begin? He glanced up and saw May staring off into space. Yes, that name was harmless enough.

All his wariness gone, Gary tapped in the name Norman Maple.

A picture of the Gym Leader appeared on the screen. It labeled his region as Hoenn, listed his age, height, shoe size, and other similar measurements. His fingerprints popped up on the side. A list of family members was displayed to the right of his photo.

Gary scanned it, like he scanned everything, and he noticed something was missing. Confused, he scanned again. Yes, something was missing. "May, who's Max?" he asked, not even glancing at her. "Are you Max?"

May blinked. "No, Max is my brother." She frowned. "Why would I be named Max?"

"Doesn't matter," Gary said quickly. He narrowed his eyes at the computer screen, doubting what it told him. Did May not exist in this world? Did she ever? Curious, Gary typed in her name.

Several May Maples appeared, but only one was listed as Hoenn. Gary clicked on this one, only to see a picture of May as a much younger girl. Her fingerprints appeared on the right, just like Norman's. It was lacking in information, strangely, until Gary realized why.

The word "Deceased" was written to the right of her name, black and menacing.

Gary stared at the screen, his face wrought with disbelief. Finally he blinked and kept reading.

Cause of death: bullet wound

Aged: 7

And that was all there was to say about May Maple.

May had been shot. _Shot._ At seven years old. Gary could not believe it. He was completely stupefied.

With a small shake of his head, Gary forced himself to type another name. Leaf's.

The face of his girlfriend appeared on the screen, only much, much younger. Horrified, Gary swallowed dryly and read the description.

Cause of death: drowning

Aged: 10

This time, Gary did not hesitate. He typed Ash's name with renewed vigor, scared of what he would find. A picture of Ash, so very, very young, appeared.

Cause of death: strangulation

Aged: 9

Gary forced himself to remain calm. Slowly, ever so slowly, he tapped in his own name.

True panic set in when Gary's image from several years ago appeared on the screen. He was even missing his front teeth. The horrible, computer generated word "Deceased" seemed to scream from the white of the screen.

Cause of death: bullet wound

Aged: 9

He hated how blunt and vague the records were. He wanted details, craved them. He had to know who had shot him, why, what had been done about it. And what of Ash? Who had killed him?

Burning with curiosity, Gary typed in his grandfather's name. The old man's face appeared, warm and friendly, without the awful title of "Deceased" over his name. Desperately, he scanned the summary, words like "Pokemon professor" and "Pallet Town" jumping out at him.

From his grandfather, Gary typed in Riley's name. He was relieved to see the cunning, smirking man alive and well, wearing his hat like he always did. And yet at the same time, his heart sank. If Riley was alive here, then the Riley he had known was dead.

With his head buzzing, Gary typed in his sister's name. Daisy was never really there for him, since she had run away when he was only ten, but he missed her. Her name appeared, simple as that, and the picture displayed her much older than Gary remembered. Her residence, like their grandfather's, was Pallet Town.

Gary searched for Dawn, only to find her dead at age six from a fire. Paul, on the other hand, was alive and well, just as Ash had shown him. Drew had been stabbed to death at age eight. Finally, when his curiosity had died from burning to merely smoldering, Gary typed in Misty's name

And his interest was entirely revived.

Misty Waterflower: Unknown

Occupation: Gym Leader

Location: Cerulean City

Family: Daisy (sister), Violet (sister), Lily (sister)

_Gym Leader?_ Gary thought. His brow furrowed as he puzzled over this. "Misty?" he murmured.

Abruptly, Drew sat down beside him, and Gary slammed the computer closed. Drew scowled at him. "Something you don't want me to see?" he inquired.

Gary stood and picked up the laptop. "I need to make a phone call," he said, and he left them.

"They do have Italian sodas, by the way!" Drew shouted after him.

Worried, Gary flipped open his Pokedex and dialed Ash's number. He bounced on the balls of his feet as the phone rang, staring at the tiny screen anxiously. "Come on, come on, pick up!" he hissed.

Finally, Ash's face appeared on the screen. He was walking, and an ever changing background of foliage was present as he spoke. "Gary?" he asked. "What is it?"

"Listen," Gary said, "don't do speaker phone. Put it on normal. Okay?"

Ash frowned at the dex. "How do I—? Oh, here." Ash pressed a button and raised the Pokedex to his ear. Gary did so as well, afraid of being overheard. "What is it?" Ash wondered.

"Your theory," Gary told him hurriedly. "The one we discussed on the ship. It's true. It has to be."

Ash's voice was completely silent. "Really?" he whispered.

"Yes, really!" Gary hissed. "I just looked all of us up on their records system and we're all _dead._ In fact, we've all been murdered. Except for Leaf, but based on the pattern I'm starting to think hers wasn't an accident."

Again, Ash was quiet for a while, taking this information in. "This isn't good," he said.

"Oh, you think?" Gary snapped, his patience completely worn from the stress of reading about everyone's deaths. "You… you think so? Would you like to hear a bigger problem?"

"No," Ash replied. "I mean, yes. I would. Wait, how did I die?"

"You were strangled in second grade, now _listen!_" Gary hissed. "Misty, you need to be careful around Misty."

Ash paused. "Why?"

"_Because,_" Gary whispered sharply, "she's the Gym Leader for Cerulean! _She_ is part of the Company!"

Ash laughed. "No she's not."

"Yes she is, Ash Ketchum, I just looked up her file," Gary informed him. "She is not alive or dead, but 'unknown.' Do you know what that _means?_"

"Um—."

"It means they haven't found the body yet!" Gary replied. "In this world, we're all dead. Giovanni's alive, and we're all dead. My _grandfather_ is alive. My… my _sister_ is alive—did you ever meet her? She's alive _here,_ which means she's dead over _there._"

"What about my mom?"

Gary stopped. "What about her?"

"Did you look her up?" Ash demanded. "Is she alive or dead?"

"Well—."

"And which one is good news?" the assassin went on. "Knowing she's alive here, but dead over there? Or that someone has killed her here too?" Ash took a moment to think. "Are we considered dead in our world then? Does that make us dead!"

"I don't know!" Gary cried quietly.

"Why were we murdered here?" Ash continued. "Did that site list reasons? Gary, in Lavender Town, we were attacked by Team Rocket. I thought they were after Paul, but now—."

"Wait, you what?" Gary exclaimed.

He could hear the grimace in Ash's voice. "Did I forget to mention that?" he said sheepishly.

Gary smiled angrily. "Yeah, must've slipped your mind," he snapped. "Look, I don't know everything yet, okay? But I have a computer now. It's not a very good one, but it'll do. I'm going to keep searching, see what turns up. Just do me a favor and be careful around Misty."

"Can you research Paul?" Ash questioned. "This Paul. I want to know why Team Rocket were targeting him. Did he do something? Steal something? I'll interrogate him, but I might not get anywhere. We know how memory blanks work."

"Wonderful. You do that, I'll do this," Gary said, lifting the laptop under his arm, even though Ash couldn't see it. "Call me if you get anything. And _don't tell the others_ _anything._ Got that?"

Ash sighed. "Yes sir, I get it." Now a smirk appeared in his voice. "Good luck hiding this from Drew." And he hung up.

Gary exhaled heavily as he ended the call. The laptop suddenly felt like it weighed a hundred pounds. "Great," he sighed, not looking forward to facing the other three again.

Silently, he went back to his spot on the sofa, where Drew was busy drinking his coffee. Gary reached for his own, resting on the table, and took a long gulp. Yes, caffeine. Just what he needed to calm his jittering nerves, Gary thought bitterly. Without meeting anyone's eyes, Gary set the Styrofoam cup back on the table and leaned back into the couch.

Drew watched him skeptically. "That looked like a pretty intense phone call," he stated.

Gary shook his head. "No, it was pretty normal."

With narrowed eyes, Drew took a sip of his coffee, not removing his gaze from the researcher before him. "Hm," was all he said.

"Can you swim?" Gary asked abruptly.

Drew snorted. "Of course I can sw—."

"Not you," Gary interrupted. He looked up at Leaf, his expression unreadable. "Can you swim, Leaf?"

Confused, Leaf smiled. "Of course," she responded.

May glanced at her. "Then why are you so scared of Misty's diving board?" she wondered.

Leaf bristled at this. "I am _not_ scared of her diving board, I have childhood trauma from Dawn—."

Again, Gary cut her off. "Reasonably well?" he continued. "Like you probably wouldn't drown, right?"

"No, I would not _drown,_" Leaf stated, glaring at May on the last word. May fixed her gaze on the straw of her Italian soda and remained silent.

Gary nodded. "That's what I thought."

"Gary, what's going on?" Drew demanded. "And if I don't get an answer, I _will_ sic Roserade on you."

For a long time, Gary was silent. Finally he leaned forward on, resting his elbows on his knees and his head on his hands. "I'm really, really sorry," he began, "but I need you guys to trust me. I can't tell you everything yet, because I really hope I'm wrong, but for now, it's better if you don't know. Can you bear with me until I'm ready for you to know?"

The other three stared at him, unsure of what to say. Leaf tapped idly on the side of her coffee cup and May twiddled with her straw, moving it around to make an odd scraping sound. Abruptly, Drew popped his knuckles, making Gary jump. "I guess," the green haired man said, "we don't have much choice, do we?"

***AN: Excuse the unedited-ness. Feel free to point out any glaring or not so glaring flaws, please. I really don't have time to edit now. It's finals week and I felt guilty. And yes, I did write all this about two minutes ago, why do you ask?  
><strong>

**I discovered a new TV show: _Sherlock._ Oh my freaking gosh watch it. Right now. Drop everything and watch it. It's only six episodes. You've all got the time. Do it. You'll be glad you did. Also, review. You'll be glad you did that too.***


	12. Chapter 12

_Twelve_

Paul could not stop watching the blue girl. She was _so_ familiar—he _knew_ he knew her from… somewhere. He racked his brains thoroughly, trying to come up with even the faintest of memories of the girl, but he could not get it. He had been frightened at first by her aggressive attachment to him, but upon learning he was not the Paul she was looking for, she had completely backed off.

Paul wanted to know who this other Paul was. He wanted to know why he wasn't good enough for her.

Behind him, Ash and the orange girl were talking/arguing about who was stupider, so Paul quickened his pace to catch up with the blue girl. "Hi," he greeted.

The blue girl—Dawn! Her name was Dawn—jumped and looked at him. "Oh hi," she said, smiling, but it seemed forced. "What's up, Paul?"

Paul could tell it hurt her to say his name. Why? He was burning with desire to know. "Nothing," Paul said quickly. Inwardly, he grimaced. His tone had come out ruder than he had meant for it to.

Dawn eyed him with concern. "Okay," she replied. She turned her face skywards. "This world is amazing, isn't it?"

"It is?" Paul responded, disbelieving. Same old world, last time he checked.

"Yeah, there are all these crazy creatures that can breathe fire, or control water, or make lightning," Dawn stated. "The more I think about it, the more I realize… it's _magic._ It has to be."

Paul snorted. "Sure," he complied.

Dawn grimaced, her face one of someone who had just said more than they should have. "Well, uh, what do you define as magic, then?" she amended.

"There's no such thing as magic," Paul retorted. He looked away and bit his lip. He really needed to think before he spoke.

Dawn laughed a little. "I'm starting to doubt that," she murmured.

Paul stared at her, trying to decipher the hidden meaning behind her words. After all, people didn't say stuff like that just to be mysterious, did they? "And that is because…?" Mentally, Paul smacked himself. A simple _why?_ would have sufficed and been less rude.

Dawn glanced at him; it seemed his tone was finally getting to her. "Why do you want to know?" she demanded.

Desperate to recover, Paul searched his brain for something that was not cold or offensive. "I'm just… curious," he finished lamely.

"Well I'm not supposed to tell you, so don't ask," Dawn snapped. "You're just as mean as—." She broke off abruptly. "Never mind," she muttered.

Paul stared at her, curiosity burning in his chest. But he didn't dare ask. Dawn seemed too… edgy at the moment.

Abruptly, something clamped onto Paul's shoulder, making him jump violently. Ash grinned and gave his shoulder a squeeze. "So, Pauly, I've got some questions for you."

Paul wrenched himself from the taller boy's grip. "Leave me alone," he growled. He glanced around for Dawn and saw her strolling with the orange girl. "And don't call me that."

"This is important," Ash snapped, giving Paul a look that did not match his usual composure. "I need you to answer honestly."

Narrowing his eyes, Paul folded his arms across his chest. "Only if I get to ask questions and get answers too."

"Maybe," Ash said. Paul gave him a scowl, but he did not protest any further. Ash smirked knowingly. "So tell me, Paul, have you ever… broken the law?"

Paul was offended by this question. Surely he didn't look like a delinquent? "No," he scoffed.

"Never stolen anything?" Ash pressed. "Never done drugs? Never got in a fight?"

Briefly, Paul recalled the time he and a boy from his second grade class had gotten in a fight—if it could even be called that. Mostly he and the other kid waved their arms at each other. "No, none of that," Paul stated confidently. "Done?"

Ash ignored his question. "Do you have any relatives?" He paused. "Wait, yes you do. Would Reggie be in trouble with anyone?"

"No, he wouldn't, and how do you know about him?" Paul demanded.

Ash leered at him. "Are you sure?"

Paul narrowed his eyes. "Reggie would never do anything, _ever,_ that would put me in danger."

"Then why," Ash wondered, "did Team Rocket attack you?"

Fear flashed across Paul's face. "That was Team Rocket?" he whispered. "The people you set your Charizard on?"

"Thank God you've heard of them," Ash sighed. "I was beginning to think you were totally incompetent."

Paul looked away. "Only an imbecile would be ignorant of Team Rocket," he said. "Personally I'm surprised you know."

For a moment, Ash was silent, fighting to figure out if Paul had insulted him or not. "Okay," he replied, uncertain. "Anyways, Team Rocket wasn't after us. I hope. So I'm wondering—holy cow what on earth is that?" Ash turned his head skyward, gaping in shock.

Paul did the same, wondering what manner of shiny object could distract Ash in such away.

And his breath was taken away.

A bird bigger than any he had ever seen was soaring lazily across the sky, seeming to glitter in the sunlight like the rain. A glorious trail of colors followed its flight, and although Paul was usually repulsed by rainbows, this one was different. It was like this rainbow was all things good, from hope to happiness, arching through the blue of the heavens.

"I have no idea," Paul breathed. He could not look away. It was too beautiful.

"Ash?"

Paul jumped at the sharpness of Misty's tone, as did Ash. The redhead scowled at the latter, evaluating his actions. "What were you looking at?" she questioned.

Ash blinked. "What, you missed it?"

"Missed what?" Dawn asked.

For a moment, Paul feared Ash was going to tell them about it. The idea of Ash sharing the rainbow with those who hadn't witnessed it seemed _wrong._ "It was nothing," Ash informed them with a slight shake of his head. Yet his gaze slid back to the clear sky, searching. But the bird and its rainbow tail were gone.

* * *

><p>Cerulean City was just as Ash remembered it, with sprawling buildings and urban dwellings, with the sea in view just north of the city. From where they stood on the hill, overlooking the town, he could see the Gym, a large pink and orange dome with a hideous Dewgong on it. A memory flashed before his eyes, with Pikachu scampering ahead of him and coaxing him to hurry up, as the sun set on the ocean.<p>

Ash blinked. He was back in the present, with Pikachu dozing on his shoulder and the sun high in the sky, with Misty and Dawn and not Paul. He focused on the Gym. No longer was he passing through, like last time. He had to go down there and win a battle. Old nerves crackled in his chest. No matter how many battles he won, he still got nervous.

"Ocean!" Misty exclaimed happily. "Yes, this is _my_ kind of town. Hurry up, you slowpokes, the water waits for no man!"

"Wait!" Ash cried, and he yanked Misty back. She winced in pain and glared furiously at him.

"What for?" she demanded. She tried to throw Ash's grip off, but he held firm. After all, she was Misty, and _no one_ got between Misty and water.

Gary's warning played through Ash's mind again. "I think you should stay here with Dawn. Paul and I will go down and… make sure there's no Team Rocket. And then you can come."

Misty blinked at him in shock. "Team Rocket?" she repeated. "Ash, are you worried about me?"

Ash smiled. "Of course I am," he lied easily. He pulled her closer, gentle this time. "You're my girlfriend, after all."

Misty put on a flirtatious smile. "Aw, how sweet," she cooed, mussing up his hair.

Grinning, Ash kissed her forehead. "Perfect. Stay here, and we'll be back soon." He nodded at Paul, and they left the two girls.

Dawn stared at her friend. "What was that?" she snapped.

"A lie," Misty replied, folding her arms. "We're following them. Come on."

* * *

><p>Ash swore quietly. Paul looked at him in confusion. "What?" he asked. They were standing on the sidewalk, busy as all streets seemed to be in the Pokemon world, staring at a shop window. Several TV sets rested inside, each displaying the news.<p>

"…new developments on the case of missing Gym Leader Misty Waterflower," the newscaster was saying. A picture of Misty—_his_ Misty—appeared behind her. "Witnesses claim she was sighted in Lavender Town with two men and a woman. One of the men had a Charizard and a Pikachu. Anyone with anymore information regarding this man or the missing Leader is asked to report to their local Officer Jenny immediately."

Paul's eyes went wide. "_She's_ the missing Gym Leader?" he cried. "You… you kidnapped—?"

"Shut up!" Ash hissed, clamping his hand over Paul's mouth. The younger boy glared up at him, but remained silent. "People will hear you!" After a few more moments of Paul scowling, Ash hesitantly removed his grip.

Paul spat as Ash's hand pulled away. "Are you _nuts?_" he whispered. "Now they suspect _me_ too! Did you hear that? _Two men._ Two!" A look of horror crossed his features. "I can't go to the police," he said in shock. "I'm a criminal."

"Never seemed to bother you before," Ash snapped without thinking. Paul gave him such a betrayed look that Ash actually felt bad for saying it. He sighed and tried his best to look apologetic. "Look, the girl traveling with us is not the same as the Gym Leader. Well, she is, but… she's not. It's like you and the Paul we know."

Hesitant, Paul folded his arms. "How can I know that's true?" he wondered. "How can I know everything you've told me so far is true?"

Ash paused. He truly had no answer to that. "When we get back to where we belong," he said, his fists clenching in determination, "I'll introduce you to Paul. The real Paul."

Paul blinked. Pain flashed in his eyes. He swallowed thickly, avoiding Ash's gaze. Something had upset him. Ash wasn't sure what. "That," Paul hissed in a deadly tone, "does not convince me."

"I can't give you anymore proof!" Ash exclaimed. Frustrated, he shook his head. "Come on, Paul, let's just get back to the girls before they do something stupid."

* * *

><p>"Did you see which way they went?" Dawn asked.<p>

"Shut up, Dawn, I'm trying to figure that out!" Misty barked. She scowled at the various streets Ash and Paul could have possibly taken once entering the city.

People strolled by, their eyes fixing on Misty as if they could not believe what they were seeing. This perplexed her, as it was usually Dawn getting all the attention, not her, and she did not know how to handle it. So she glared at those who stared too long, inducing them to flinch.

Exasperated, Misty threw up her hands and sighed. "Let's go this way," she decided. "We're bound to run into them eventually."

Dawn simply shrugged and followed her friend. Had it been up to her, they would have stayed where Ash had told them to. She was not stupid—this was a strange world that she didn't know. Wandering around it was definitely not the best idea. Yet Misty was stubborn and determined, and Dawn did not feel up to arguing with the notorious hothead.

As Dawn looked around, taking in the sights of the city, she noticed something unnerving. More unnerving than finding Barry alive.

"Misty," Dawn said, jogging to catch up with her, "do you recognize a lot of these people?"

Suddenly self-conscious, Misty reached up and removed her trademark side ponytail, allowing her hair to fall and graze her shoulders. "Why won't they stop staring?" she hissed. Nervously she pulled up the hood of her sweater, her cheeks turning red from the unwanted attention.

"Misty?"

Misty froze. The voice was not one she recognized, yet the face of the speaker was vaguely familiar. Was it one of the cashiers at grocery store? Or the woman who picked up the towels in the locker room? She was not sure. But the woman clearly knew her, and was pointing right at her.

"Misty Waterflower!" she cried in disbelief. "Oh my God, she's back!"

People heard the woman. They stopped in their tracks to look at Misty, to peer at her like an animal. For some reason, they formed a clearing around her and Dawn, keeping their distance. The woman continued to point. People began to whisper. Questions burned behind their eyes that they clearly were too afraid to ask.

"Oh, Misty, thank God you're back!"

Misty cringed. Oh, she knew that voice. And she knew she was in trouble.

Ash pushed his way through the circle of people and drew Misty into his arms. From just over his shoulder, Misty saw Paul enter the circle after him, not looking the least bit happy about it.

And then Ash kissed her. On the lips. In front of all. Those. People.

"Come on, you need to get home! Everyone's been so worried," Ash insisted. There was a look in his eyes, begging her to play along. It took all of Misty's self control and the year she accidentally took a theater class to keep her from slapping him in front of that crowd. Instead she allowed her eyes to un-focus so that Ash became nothing more than a colored blur, leading her out of the audience in the street.

"Where are we going?" Dawn wondered.

"The Gym," Paul told her. "Misty is the Gym Leader, and we need a badge."

* * *

><p>"I can't battle as a Gym Leader!" Misty whispered angrily.<p>

"You're going to have to, because I think the other Misty won't be easily found," Ash replied. "Just throw the match and we'll be out of here before you know it."

"And people won't get suspicious?" Misty said, her eyebrows arching in skepticism.

Ash sighed. "Of course they will, so we'd better get out of here before they figure out you're not _the_ Misty Waterflower they think you are."

Misty scowled distastefully. "Fine," she hissed. She spun on her heel and marched over to her designated platform on the other side of pool. Ash arrived on his as well, taking a fighting stance. Misty removed Gyarados from her pocket. No matter what Ash said, she was not going to make this easy for him.

"A one on one battle!" Misty called out, recalling what Ash had told her to say. "For the Cascade Badge," she added.

"Ready when you are, Mist!" Ash responded.

Misty's eyes narrowed. "Don't _call_ me that!" she hissed, and with strength that could only come from ten years of swimming, Misty hurled her pokeball into the water. Gyarados appeared with its usual cry of awesomeness, its jaw stretched and ready to heed Misty's orders.

She could see Ash's smirk, even from this distance. He gave a windup before pitching his pokeball into the air. Bayleef appeared in a brilliant flash of light, landing daintily on one of the floating platforms, which despite her soft landing still wobbled under her weight.

It occurred to Misty that Ash was not using Pikachu, that Bayleef was not his strongest. He was going easy on her. It made her want to crush him even more. She wanted him to show her just how strong he was. His little lesson in battling on the cruise ship had been sadly lacking and made battling seem horribly easy. She wanted to see something spectacular.

"Gyarados, Hydro Pump!" Misty called.

Bayleef dodged the move with irritating ease, landing on another one of the platforms gracefully. "Magical Leaf!" Ash commanded. A wide grin was spreading on his face, revealing just how much fun he was having.

"Protect!" Misty cried.

Gyarados raised the shield, but Bayleef did not attack. Instead, it bounded from one platform to the next, making the great water dragon whip its head around at a dizzying rate. It did not take long for Gyarados's weak shield to fall, blinking out of existence as the Pokemon's strength dissipated. It was then that Bayleef chose to attack, summoning glowing leaves from the Great Beyond or something and sending them straight at Gyarados.

Gyarados howled as the leaves cut at its scales. "Headbutt!" Ash ordered next, waving his arm excitedly.

Bayleef wasted no time in angling herself, rearing back and running pell-mell towards Misty's Pokemon. Her head collided with Gyarados's neck, making it bend so bad Misty was sure it had snapped.

Misty was desperate now, unsure of what to do. "Um, Hyper Beam!" she cried hopelessly.

As Gyarados reared, the glowing orb forming in its jaws, Ash simply folded his arms and smirked. "Solarbeam," he said calmly.

Bayleef's attack was swift and well-aimed, firing right into the maw of Gyarados. Such an explosion occurred, the likes of which Misty had never seen, and her beautiful dragon collapsed into the water with a tremendous splash.

"Bay!" Bayleef said happily. It swung its head around, looking to Ash for approval. Ash gave it a giddy grin and a thumbs up, which Misty swore made the Pokemon blush.

"I believe you owe me a badge now," Ash taunted, his victorious smirk enhancing his devilishly cute features.

Misty mentally slapped herself. Now, of all times, she was deciding Ash was cute? What the hell was wrong with her?

Although, she admitted, his battle skills were astounding. He made a fine Trainer.

But Misty would be damned if anyone caught her saying that aloud.

* * *

><p>"Hurry up!"<p>

Misty exhaled in frustration. "Look, _you_ find where they keep the badges. I've looked everywhere."

Ash rolled his eyes. "We can't stay in Cerulean tonight. I'm surprised no one has come to the Gym yet, so let's not push our luck."

"You're blaming _me_ for not knowing where the badges are?"

"Well it _is_ your Gym."

"It is not! You were just too chicken to fight the real Gym Leader."

"There _was_ no Leader! She could be pushing daisies for all we know!"

"What a comforting thought."

"Just find the badges."

"We don't need no stinking badges!"

"…Misty—."

"Don't _even_ start with me, Ash."

Silence. Then…

"Misty."

"What now?"

"You're cute."

Misty looked back at him, standing in the doorway of the office like some nonchalant office superior, smirking at her. "Cute is not a word I describe myself with," she snapped, although the compliment _did_ make her heart flutter a bit.

Ash shrugged. "I think it's fitting," he admitted, strolling into the room as Misty rifled through yet another drawer.

"If you're trying to get me to compliment your battle skills, it's not going to work," Misty told him, unable to fight the smile that pulled at her lips.

Ash sighed. "I _did_ have hopes," he complained quietly. He placed both hands on her shoulders, gently, but their warmth was enough to startle Misty. "Can I at least get a victory kiss?" He steered her around so that she was facing him, her legs against the desk she had just been searching.

Before Misty could agree, or protest, or whatever she was thinking of doing, Ash had his mouth on hers, gently pulling her lips apart and slipping his tongue in her mouth. Misty completely forgot she was mad at him, or that he was annoying her, or that the world still existed around them. Nothing mattered outside of Ash's hands on her back, his lips molding against hers, and the feel of his hair in her fingers.

"You know," she murmured, breaking away, "I won't get much looking done this way."

"Are you saying you'd rather get back to searching?" Ash teased.

Misty glared. "You were the one pestering me about all this!"

"So it's my fault?" he questioned, the humor fading from his eyes.

"When is it not?" Misty wondered angrily.

"Hey, you can't just pin every little thing on me like that!" cried the Trainer. His arms were still around Misty, and her hands were still in his hair, but all the romance had gone from the scene. It wasn't even embarrassing when Paul walked in on them, bearing a bag of extra badges.

"I found—oh… kay then," Paul said slowly. He cleared his throat. "I found the badges."

"Good," Ash replied, looking over at Paul in the midst of his argument with Misty. He released his grip on her as if Paul hadn't just walked in on an intimate moment and snatched the bag from him.

Misty folded her arms, like nothing of the romantic nature had occurred between the two, and scowled. "Happy now?" she demanded.

"Overjoyed, now let's go," Ash retorted. "Dawn, we're leaving!" he yelled.

There was a crash from somewhere down the hall. "O-okay!" replied Dawn's weak voice.

Three pairs of eyes rolled. Ash looked at his new Cascade Badge and grinned. "One down, two to go," he said happily.

***AN: Please do not kill the author who updates late, but rather, pity her, for she has much schoolwork and simply HAD to finish all four seasons of _Merlin_ within a week. I am very, very sorry, and I stayed up extra late to get this done for you guys. I'll edit it tomorrow, but I feel bad enough as it is. **

**Make my life easier and inform me of any and all errors, grammatical or whatnot, you happen to spot. I'll try not to be so late next time, and I hope Misty wasn't OOC. Thank you all for reading and bearing with me during these busy weeks.***


	13. Chapter 13

_Thirteen  
><em>

Zoey and Steven, who have been sorely neglected throughout this story, made their way leisurely to Saffron City. Zoey, looking tough and a bit irritated, did not merit many challengers from the road. Steven, on the other hand, was challenged quite often. He thought it was because people were eager to fight a former Champion. Zoey didn't tell him that no one recognized him and he looked like an easy win.

When they reached Saffron City, it was midday. The sunlight was soft and a pleasant breeze blew through the air. Steven looked up at the towering buildings, his nose wrinkled in distaste. "Saffron," he mumbled.

Zoey glanced at him. "What's the matter with Saffron?"

Steven continued to scowl. "I always have bad luck around here."

"What, people don't recognize you?"

"Yes!"

Zoey rolled her eyes. "Wow, that's so sad," she replied.

Steven met her sarcastic gaze with a look of serious fear. "I'm not joking," he said. "I think… I think maybe Sabrina has something to do with it."

Zoey's posture sagged. "Sabrina?" she questioned in disbelief.

"Sh!" Steven exclaimed, looking around warily. "Not so loud! She has ears everywhere, you know that, right? She just sits in her Gym and she sees _everything._" He shook his head. "Psychics, man. Scary creeps."

Zoey nodded. "Uh huh. So what does this have to do with your luck?"

Steven stared at her like she should have known this. "Well, Sabrina must be messing with the minds of all the people of this town. There's no way an entire city could forget me like that."

"Why would she do this?" Zoey wondered, throwing her arms up in exasperation. "Is she bored?"

At this, Steven looked uncomfortable. "Well, she doesn't exactly like me."

Zoey's face became a twisted grin. "Did you break her heart?" she asked evilly.

"No," Steven mumbled. "I wish it were that simple."

Confused, Zoey waited for him to explain it. But Steven remained silent. "What's the story?" she demanded finally.

"I don't know!" Steven cried, surprised at her loudness.

"What do you mean, you don't know?"

"I don't know," repeated the former Champion. "I met her once, and I don't know what I did but she just hates me!"

Zoey pursed her lips, searching for something to say that did not sound rude or sarcastic, but nothing came to mind. So she kept quiet.

Steven looked at her, pleading. "Would you fight her? Please?"

Zoey gaped. "What, seriously? You can't handle a little Psychic Gym Leader? You're an _ex-champion!_ Where's your pride?"

As the two quarreled, a man and a woman watched them from afar. Their voices carried, just enough to be clear if one of them cared to listen. Instead, the man was holding a small, camera-like device aimed at the two, frowning. "These two?" he asked. His voice was scratchy and rough, perhaps from a lifetime of smoking or being choked out as a child. For our intents and purposes, we don't know and don't care. "This one is Steven Stone."

"Who's that?" his female companion asked. She was examining herself in a compact mirror, inspecting the pores on her face.

"The Hoenn Champion!" the man cried. "Don't you remember him?"

The woman snapped the mirror shut and went to look at Steven. "Oh, him," she remarked, disinterested. "What could the boss want with him?"

"What could a former Champion want with another region's League?" her accomplice wondered equally.

She shrugged, curling her blonde hair absently around her fingers. "Maybe he wants to train up a bit."

"He was close to the Maple girl."

At this, the woman was attentive. "From Petalburg?"

"Yeah, their daddies go way back." The man continued to record Steven and Zoey, realization sinking in. "Our old task isn't over," he murmured. "The boss left a few loose ends."

His partner pouted. "Oh, Buffy, must we kill him? He's so handsome."

A vein in the man's brow twitched. "My _name_ is _Butch,_" he growled.

"Yeah, yeah, sure." The woman strapped her holster around her waist and removed a pistol. "And we've got a suicide to stage."

* * *

><p>As they traipsed through the streets, Zoey's mind was on strategy. She was going to face a Psychic Trainer, and a skilled one at that. She was not sure if her Pokemon could even compete. Her Mismagius could prove useful, and her Gallade knew some Psychic moves. Gastrodon knew Hidden Power, and Glameow had all those Electric type moves.<p>

So _maybe_ she had a fighting chance.

Zoey had very little experience battling, and even less with Psychics. What if they could read her mind and predict her next move before even she could? It was a vicious cycle in Zoey's head that did not pan out well no matter which way she thought about it.

"Steven, I—," she began, but the ex-Champion cut her off with a "Sh!"

Zoey scowled. "What?" she snapped.

"Sabrina's watching," Steven reminded her.

The redhead rolled her eyes. It was not worth arguing with this man.

Before Zoey knew it, they were standing in front of Saffron City Gym, staring up at its imposing structure. Zoey was shaking. She had never met a Psychic. They were not to be trusted. So many horror stories about Hypno and Drowzee luring children to their dooms ran through her head. People who controlled and put faith in such monsters were not to be reckoned with.

Slowly, fearfully, Zoey lifted her hand to open the door.

Abruptly, the door opened, making both Zoey and Steven jump. Standing in the doorway was a tall, serious-looking woman. Her piercing red eyes seemed to stare right into Zoey's soul, and they made her feel cold. "Come," the woman said simply, and she vanished.

Zoey and Steven were petrified with fear. "Was that…?" Zoey hissed.

"Uh huh," Steven gasped.

Apparently, the two took too long, since they were suddenly yanked forward by an invisible force, pulling them into the Gym. The door slammed shut behind them.

Sabrina stood a little ways down the entry hall, the large mechanical cuffs on her wrists glowing a gentle green. Her stomach and breasts in her tight pink shirt did not move, making it appear as if she was not breathing. She watched them without blinking, her face set with stone cold patience.

With a quiet swish of wind, Sabrina spun around on her heel and stalked off, dragging Steven and Zoey after her.

"She's going to kill us," Steven whispered in terror. "Oh, _Mew,_ I've really pissed her off!"

Sabrina took a sharp turn into a room, and Zoey and Steven had no choice but to follow. The moment they were through the door, it too slammed shut.

The two Trainers felt the psychic hold on them lift, and they relaxed. Steven was still panicking, but Zoey was calm enough to take in the room.

It was a small room, with a comfortable couch pressed up against one wall and a coffee table set in front of it. It was on this couch that Sabrina sat, placing her feet up on the table. She waved her hand, and a half-empty glass of orange juice with a bendy straw floated off the table to her grip. A book rested by her foot, face down on whatever page the reader had been on.

"Sit?" the Leader queried, sipping her juice.

Zoey scrambled to sit in the chair on the other side of the table, leaving Steven with the unenviable option of the couch with Sabrina.

Sabrina watched Steven carefully as he resigned himself to the sofa. He scrunched himself up as far away as he could from the Gym Leader and pointedly faced the other direction.

"Um," Zoey began, desperate for anything but this awkward silence, and Sabrina turned her piercing red eyes on her. "I'd like to—."

"Battle," Sabrina finished for her. She put her mouth on the straw thoughtfully. "I have seen the outcome of our battle," she stated. "You lose."

Zoey glared at her. "Bet you say that to all your challengers, don't you?" she snapped, forgetting who she was talking to.

Sabrina's face did not change. "Perhaps."

Steven grimaced at her tone. Zoey was certain Sabrina knew what he was thinking, because her lips curved up in the tiniest of smirks. "Nevertheless I want to battle you," Zoey continued.

Sabrina let go of her glass and folded her hands under her chin. The cup floated aimlessly in the air beside her arm. "I will not let you engage in such a fight," she said.

"I _need_ to battle you." Zoey was getting quite frustrated. A Gym Leader was not allowed to refuse a challenge.

"Believe me, you don't."

Something in her voice made Zoey stop protesting. The way her eyes blazed with a cold fire, how her words cut like steel, the way she stiffened like a statue… all of it both frightened and fascinated Zoey.

Sabrina removed her hands from under her chin. She squeezed each into a fist, making her knuckles crack. Steven winced at each pop, certain that one was going to be his neck. "Ash Ketchum," the Leader said placidly as she cracked her fingers. "He is the one that needs this badge."

When Zoey did not say anything, Sabrina continued. "And you are trying to cheat the League so Ash may rise to challenge the Champion."

Zoey stared at her. She was really starting to hate Psychics.

Sabrina's face did not change as she popped the last of her fingers. "I concede to you," she said placidly. "You are victorious."

Both Steven and Zoey started. "What?" Steven cried, his voice cracking.

"This," Sabrina declared, ignoring him, "is the Marsh Badge." She snapped her fingers, and the tiny shiny object was pinched between her thumb and forefinger. "We battled, I lost, and you earned it." Her gaze did not narrow with scrutiny, but remained wide and knowing. "Understand?"

Zoey stared at her. "You'll help us cheat?" she exclaimed.

"I will do no such thing," Sabrina replied, her tone monotonous. "You earned this. It is yours." She waved her fingers, and the badge flew from her hand to Zoey's. "An admirable foe. You deserve this accolade of defeating me." The bendy straw and orange juice drifted over to her mouth. "Now go," she ordered, taking the straw in her mouth. "Katniss is about to enter the arena."

Steven and Zoey exchanged a look of shock. "Th-thank you," Zoey stammered, rising to her feet. She clutched the badge in her fist, afraid it would vanish at any moment. Steven followed her, eager to leave.

"And friends," Sabrina called. Steven turned around slowly, his face paling. Zoey was less terrified. "Be careful outside. This town is not as safe as it used to be." She took another drink of her juice and beckoned her book over to her.

Steven and Zoey blinked at her, but Sabrina was done talking to them. The book floated happily into her hands, and our heroes took their dismissal.

* * *

><p>"She wasn't so bad," Zoey remarked, tossing and catching her new badge.<p>

Steven folded his arms. "Yeah, whatever," he mumbled. He unrolled his sleeping bag and flung it out on the ground. They were halfway to Cerulean now, and had decided to stop for the night.

Zoey stretched out on her own sleeping bag. She wore a smile of satisfaction as she stared up at the stars. "And you were so scared," she teased, slipping the badge into her pocket.

Steven opened his mouth to answer with something sarcastic or scathing, but there was a click and suddenly something cold was pressed against the side of his head.

"Prepare for trouble," stated a cool, sultry voice.

Another click, and someone was standing over Zoey, pointing a gun down at her. "And make it double," a scratchier voice proclaimed.

Slowly, Steven raised his hands in surrender. "What do you want?" he demanded, his voice shaking.

The woman holding the gun to his head stepped casually closer. "We've been assigned to kill you," she informed him.

The man motioned with his gun for Zoey to stand. She carefully got to her feet, hands above her head. Meanwhile, Steven swore. "I _knew_ Wallace was plotting something! He thinks I'll take Championship again—."

"Oh, shut up!" the woman cried, and Steven went silent. "We're not here for you."

Zoey swallowed thickly as she went to stand beside Steven. "Then what for?" she wondered shakily.

"That badge," the man replied. He held out his hand. "Give it here."

"What?" Steven exclaimed, puzzled. "You want the badge?"

"Now, please," the woman snapped. When Zoey just stared at her, she rolled her eyes. "Ben, get the badge."

The man's hand clenched and a vein throbbed in his forehead. "My name is _Butch,_ Cassidy, can't you get it right? _Don't move,_" he said dangerously, adjusting his aim as Zoey tried to put her arms down.

Terrified, Zoey gulped. "I know who you are," she shouted, betraying her fear. "I recognize your uniforms."

"Well aren't you a bright crayon?" Cassidy teased. She leaned back, throwing her breasts out and emphasizing the emblem on her chest. "Unfortunately knowing we're Team Rocket won't get you a free pass. Now give us the badge." She cocked her head towards her partner, fixing Zoey with an evil, glittering stare. "I'd rather not pry it from your corpse."

Steven turned his head slightly, meeting Zoey's fearful eyes. He did nothing, made no motion to help her. He had no idea what to do either.

Hesitantly Zoey lowered one arm, ever so slowly reaching into the pocket of her jeans. She did not take her eyes off Cassidy and Butch and the guns they had trained on her. She found the badge and carefully brought her hand back out. Butch's palm still waited, open and expectant. With a scowl, she dropped the tiny metal pin in his hand. His fingers curled around it with a smirk.

"Thank you so much," Cassidy said sweetly. Then she squeezed her hand and the gun went off.

***AN: Once again, unedited. Sue me. I worked REALLY hard on this chapter. I know it may not be the characters you guys wanted, but I wanted to write Sabrina. She's my FAVORITE. **

**I'm going through a _Merlin_ craze. I wrote a lot of fanfic for it, didn't post any, probably will write more and not post it. Anyways, read and review! It keeps me writing and happy! And feel free to point out all and any flaws you see.***


	14. Chapter 14

_Fourteen_

Zoey closed her eyes and clenched her teeth. Would the bullet hurt? Would it kill her instantly? Would it kill her at all? Oh, wouldn't that be terrible, if the bullet raced through her brain and left her a drooling, paralyzed vegetable? That was certainly a fate worse than death.

And shouldn't the bullet have reached her by now?

Warily, Zoey opened one eye.

There was the bullet.

She blinked. The bullet was still there, three inches from her forehead. It spun in the air, like it needed to move _some_ way since its forward process had been halted.

"The hell?" Cassidy snapped, and she fired the gun one, two, three more times. All the bullets came to a silent stop inches from Zoey's face.

"Do excuse us," someone cooed. Zoey did not think she had ever heard a more beautiful voice.

Another voice, this one crisp and male (and maybe a bit British, if the Pokemon World had a Britain), added, "But our interference is needed."

Zoey looked around wildly, as did Cassidy and Butch. No one was to be seen. "Psychics," Butch hissed angrily.

"And how," replied the disembodied male voice. As Zoey watched, the back of Butch's collar twitched, as if grabbed by an invisible hand. Not a moment later, both the Rockets were dangling in the air, their feet just a smidge too far away from the ground. "Tsk tsk, so noisy!" the voice complained as the two protested and screamed. Suddenly Cassidy and Butch were knocked against each other, falling silent as they went unconscious. "Much better." And then he appeared.

Steven let out an audible gasp. Zoey did too, though not as dramatic. She did not know what she was looking at, except that it was blue, floating, and resembled an airplane.

"Latios," Steven breathed, shocked.

The bullets hovering before them fell to the ground, making little noise in the grass. Another creature appeared off to the side, and this one, Zoey recognized. "Cresselia?" she stated.

"Of course, dear," Cresselia replied sweetly.

Zoey stared. "You can _talk?_"

Cresselia and Latios exchanged a look. "When it is necessary," the lunar Pokemon replied slowly, "all Pokemon may use human speech."

Latios made a face as he floated over the fallen Rockets. "Not _all,_" he disagreed.

"Yes, all," Cresselia snapped, shooting him a glare.

Steven was too mystified to speak. Zoey, luckily, had a fully-functioning tongue. "What are you doing here?" she wondered. "You're not Kanto Pokemon."

Latios sighed. "Always the stupid questions," he complained. "What are you? Why are you here? Will you climb into this cage so I can sell you on the black market?" He rolled his red eyes. "Stupid humans."

"Didn't your mother ever teach you to keep your mouth shut?" Cresselia demanded, all the patience gone from her pretty voice.

"No, because she _died,_" Latios retorted.

Cresselia did not look impressed. "What a sob story. I'm married to the lord of darkness. You don't see me crying, do you?"

Latios looked ready to kill something, so Steven and Zoey both took a wide step back. "It's your own fault you married the living nightmare!"

"Don't you _dare_ insult my husband!" Cresselia cried furiously.

"Hey!" Zoey shouted. The two Legendaries glared at her, angry at being interrupted. "What's going on?"

Latios folded his arms as best he could. "Just an old argument," he said bitterly.

"I suppose, for all our sakes, we should put it behind us," Cresselia suggested, though it clearly pained her to do so.

"For now," Latios added.

Cresselia nodded. "For now," she agreed. She looked to Steven and Zoey, smiling. "Well then. Let's get to Viridian, shall we?"

* * *

><p>After her father died, Dawn had nightmares. They were horrifying terrors that haunted her sleep, invading the dream world that used to be her safe haven.<p>

It was never the same dream, not exactly, but the general plot involved Dawn standing on the edge of something terrifyingly tall. Sometimes, it was a great, evil monster with too many mouths and hissing tongues and more eyes than she could count that ran her over the edge. Other times, she slipped and fell. Still others were with her father, gripping his hand as he smiled at her, bending her knees with him and taking that leap together.

Those were the ones she feared the most.

But now, as she twitched and whimpered in her sleep, she stood alone on that cliff, or rooftop, or tree branch. There was no one beside her, just her feet on the very edge and the ground so very far below. Or maybe it was water. She was so far away she could not tell.

Dawn turned around, and reached out her hand. She said something, but the words meant nothing. The wind blew about strongly, throwing her hair in front of her eyes, and she brushed it behind her ear.

Paul stood silently a few feet behind her, his arms folded. He watched her with his black eyes, considering. Slowly, he stepped toward her. Dawn's heart beat faster. She wanted him to take her hand, pull her close.

And he did. He grabbed her outstretched hand and stepped to where their chests were touching. "I love you," he murmured. But the words meant nothing.

With agonizing slowness, Paul pushed her away. Her hand slipped from his as she fell backwards. She kept her wide gaze on his emotionless face as she plummeted. The speed of the dream picked up, and she was no longer drifting through the air but shooting through it like an arrow. Paul became a shadow, a silhouette in the clouds, and then invisible altogether.

Dawn woke as her fall came to a sudden halt, starting awake with a small gasp. Her eyes opened to total darkness. Blinking she sat up, groaning at the stiffness in her back and neck. She pulled on her head, causing her neck to pop deliciously.

What was she supposed to do? The love of her life had murdered her father. It was eating her up inside.

"Dawn."

Dawn looked around. In the darkness, she could see someone sitting up, their hands around their knees. He stared at her, a gleam in his eyes. "You said my name."

"Oh," Dawn said. She bit her lip. Sleep talking. "I'm… sorry."

Paul shrugged. "If something is wrong, you should say something. It's stupid to keep your emotions bottled up."

"Isn't that a little hypocritical?" Dawn snapped.

Paul went silent. For a long while, neither he nor Dawn spoke, until finally he asked, "Were you dreaming about the other me?"

Dawn scowled. "Maybe."

They went quiet again.

"Do you see me as a fake?" Paul questioned, fixing his gaze on her.

Dawn's brow knit in confusion. "What?"

Paul kept his face placid and his gaze unblinking. "Do you think I'm a fake," he repeated, and his tone was difficult to place.

"Why would you even think that?" Dawn stared at him, baffled.

His eyes shifted to the sleeping form of Ash and he scowled. "I thought it was obvious."

"Of course you're not fake," stated Dawn. "You're very real."

Paul blinked once. "I hope so," he murmured. "All right. Good night," he said, louder.

Dawn watched him lie down, a look of confusion on her face. Had she been meant to hear his quiet plea? She didn't think so.

When the blue-haired girl finally fell asleep again, she dreamed the same dream, but with two Pauls. One pushed her from the cliff, and one caught her as she fell.

She could not tell which was which.

* * *

><p>Ash woke up with Pikachu sitting on his face. Gingerly, he lifted the yellow animal so that it wouldn't shock him and placed it carefully in the grass. His dreams of the night were still fogging up his mind, and for some reason he had dreamed about his father.<p>

He blinked and shook his head, trying to clear it. Why Dad? It had been a long time since that man had haunted his dreams. Was it because he was dead? Ash frowned. It did not make sense.

The premise of the dream also left him puzzled. It had started out like those dreams of being tied to the chair, with doctors leaning over him, with the new installment of Misty. But instead of waking up when the light came over him, the scene changed, putting Ash in a place that was not home but his dream self thought it was.

And there was his father, telling him something very important, but he could not hear. Ash scowled at the memory of the dream. It was stupid to dwell on such things.

Except perhaps the Misty part.

Ash glanced at his girlfriend, sleeping with her arm splayed out under her head. If she had been part of the Company, then was it possible she had headed his blanking? Surely she had been too young, right?

Or did she think she was younger than she actually was?

He continued to stare at her, losing himself in his thoughts. Would he be able to figure out her trigger word? And if he could, would it be safe to say? He had no way of knowing where the old Misty's loyalties lay.

What Ash could not figure out was why Misty was not in his memory. He had served at the Kanto branch, as she had, apparently at the same time. So why did he have no recollection of her?

His thoughts were interrupted by the sudden appearance of two slender figures from the bushes over yonder. Ash jumped, staring at them.

"Prepare for trouble!" cried the one of the left, whose hair defied physics.

"And make it double!" exclaimed the other, whose silhouette showed him holding a rose.

"To protect the world from devastation," stated the first, changing poses dramatically. Ash craned his neck, trying to see the source of the bright light.

"To unite all peoples within all nations," continued the second. Ash squinted. Their silhouettes changed poses again.

"To denounce the evils of truth and love."

"To extend our reach to the stars above."

"Jessie," said the first, and suddenly she flashed into view. Ash gaped in confusion.

"James." And James was suddenly visible, holding his rose gingerly.

"Team Rocket blast off at the speed of light!" shouted Jessie.

James pointed dramatically at Ash. "Surrender now or prepare to fight!"

Suddenly, a small cat burst out of the bushes. "Meowth, that's right!"

Ash's eye twitched as he stared at them. Jessie was instantly furious. "What's the matter, twerp? Didn't you hear us?"

"Surrender now or prepare to fight!" James repeated, louder.

"Or what?" Ash said. He was somewhere between bewilderment and amusement.

"Or we'll steal ya Pokemon, dat's what!" stated the cat.

Ash glanced down at Pikachu, still sound asleep in the grass. Then he looked back at the two of them. "Uh huh," he replied. It was the same Jessie and James from his days in the Company, in the Sinnoh branch, but it looked like these two were on the other side. And that appeared to be an advantage for him.

"Don't disregard us so easily, twerp, or you'll regret it!" screamed Jessie.

"Weezing, go and show this nuisance what Team Rocket's all about!" James proclaimed, hurling a pokeball out.

"Would you keep it DOWN?" screamed Misty, snapping up like a sapling. Unfortunately, she sat up right in the path of the flying pokeball, and it smacked into her face.

"HA!" Ash shouted, and a bout of laughter overcame him. He rolled onto his back, cackling like a madman.

The pokeball cracked open, and out popped two large purple balls. "Weezing!" they cried, and it sounded like they had a chest cold.

Misty was on her feet in an instant. "Oh yeah? COME AT ME, BRO!" she screamed. She chucked her pokeball at James.

He let out a yelp and dodged. The ball went soaring past his head. "You missed!" he said, excited. There was a flash, and James was suddenly in Gyarados's shadow. He visibly paled.

"EEK! DRAGON!" Jessie shrieked. This, finally, is what woke Dawn and Paul.

"Sic 'em, Gyarados!" ordered Misty.

Gyarados glanced at the three Rockets, then swooped them up in its tail, picked up Weezing, and hurled them all into the sky.

"Team Rocket's blasting off again!" they all yelled, but their voices were lost as they became little more than a twinkle in the sky.

Misty rubbed at her nose angrily. "Effing jerks, frickin' pricks," she mumbled. She turned around, and her eyes fell on Ash. For a moment, there was silence. Then she cracked her knuckles and slowly approached him.

Ash waited, wondering what she was going to do to him. After all, there was no way she could even _think_ she could beat him at hand to hand combat (at least, not until she got her memories back). But that was clearly what she was going for. Ash sighed. He could go easy on her, give her the sense of victory. He didn't want her _too_ mad at him.

Finally, Misty was right in front of him. She rose to her full height, fists balls and shoulders wide. She inhaled sharply through her nose, readying to attack.

And then she swung her foot back and gave Pikachu a sharp kick.

"Pika!" the mouse screeched, jumping a foot in the air and pumping everything in a ten foot radius with a generous amount of electricity.

Ash was smoking afterward, his skin charged and his brain fuzzy. All he could make out was Misty on the other end of the clearing, well out of Pikachu's range, victorious.

* * *

><p>The light was overwhelming. He shook and jittered in the bright white room, so very unlike him. It had been a long time since he had felt such fear. Perhaps because he knew what was to come.<p>

She would not be kind. He knew that. Had known it since he first laid eyes on her, all those years ago. He remembered thinking, _I should not cross her. Not ever._ Looking back, he wanted to laugh at the irony, but he could not. He was too scared.

He ran a quivering hand through his hair, wondering what she would do. It would not be quick. The wait in itself was torture. He would not put it past her to have him drawn and quartered between four Ponyta. Maybe he could coax one of the horses to stomp on his head and kill him before that started.

There was a noise outside, making him jump up. Oh, please let it be her. Please, get it over with.

But the door remained closed, and no one came.

***AN: I WAS gonna do an April Fool's chapter, but it didn't work. But this is my birthday update instead, cuz my birthday is on Friday (yeah, I'm early, sue me). Misty kicking Pikachu is NOT abuse. It was just to get him to electrocute Ash. I didn't mean it that way. *defensive*  
><strong>

**Saw Hunger Games at the premier, it was AWESOME. Seen it twice already. I just read _Eon_ by Alison Goodman. Good book. I hope you all had a good Spring Break! Ciao for now!**

**Also, this is not edited. I'm lazy. Point out mistakes and you win a cookie!***


	15. Chapter 15

_Fifteen_

"Here," Ash stated, slapping his hat on Misty's head.

Misty scowled at him from under the brim. "It's sweaty," she said.

Ash shrugged. "You said you didn't want to stay hidden. So you need to wear the hat. We can't have you out in public. People might recognize you."

The redhead narrowed her eyes at him. Angrily, she pulled the hat from her head and swept her hair up in a ponytail, tucking it up in the hat. "Happy?"

"Do you have to be such a pain?" Ash demanded.

"I'm not a pain!" Misty retorted.

"What do you call this?"

"Not being a pain!"

Dawn stepped between them, arms pushing them apart. "Will you two stop it? We are _this_ close to getting back to our universe and saving Paul."

Paul narrowed his eyes at her words, but nobody noticed.

Ash sighed and nodded. "She's right. We're wasting time here."

* * *

><p>May stared at the water, biting her lip in uncertainty. "I'm not sure it's the same method," she said worriedly.<p>

"Won't know until we try," Drew stated.

May simply shook her head. "Maybe we should take the ferry."

Gary blinked. "This is faster."

"And cooler," Leaf added.

"But," May tried, "there aren't any lifejackets…"

"We won't need them," declared Gary.

"What if I fall out?"

Drew snuck his arm around his girlfriend. "Then I'll jump in and save you." He winked and grinned. "Come on, just try it. Hotwiring a boat isn't impossible."

May continued to grimace. "It might be," she said uncertainly.

"Aw, come on," Drew pleaded, curling his fingers in her hair. "Please?"

* * *

><p>"See?" Drew said as they zoomed away from the dock, a rooster tail of water behind them. "That wasn't so hard."<p>

May just curled up in the base of the too small boat and smiled wanly. "Yup," she managed. She caught a glimpse of the water and immediately dropped her head back between her knees. She was so weak. And Drew had _so _much power over her.

She glanced up at the unfairly good-looking man steering the boat and scowled. Damn her and her weak emotions. And her car stealing skills.

It had been her father who got her interested in cars. When Mom had been tending to Max and May had felt left out, Norman would call her out to the garage. They would open the hood of their Subaru and peer down at its innards. She had had to stand on tiptoes.

May's head sank a little lower into her knees. Her father was dead. She had to stop thinking about him, or else she would fall apart. And Drew didn't need anymore weakness to pounce on.

Suddenly May had a moment of clarity. Drew was a predator. He was manipulative, suave, and hunting. Always hunting. For what, maybe at times even he didn't know, but it was true. He claimed to never have taken a life, and May believed him, but… he lied for a living. He lied by _nature._ So did Ash, Gary, and Paul.

But May realized another thing, and this was what made this moment so shining.

Without Drew, Ash, and Gary, May realized she and her friends would most likely be dead by now. Misty had seen this long ago—May had seen the knowledge in her eyes, but never understood it. The fact was the boys had kept them alive and safe.

The question was why.

* * *

><p>Ash stared up at the Gym and realized he was dreading seeing Brock. Last time the man had been in his right mind, Ash had been sitting with him at their favorite table, discussing whether Sabrina or Erika was hotter. Then, someone had come up to them and told Ash Lance needed to see him.<p>

After that, Ash had been strapped to a chair in a bright white room and… well, the rest was history.

The last time Ash had seen Brock, the man had been nearly insane, choking him to death until Paul stopped him with a chunk of cement to the head.

"Ash, this hat is ugly. I don't want to wear it."

Ash whipped his head around at her. "Seriously, Misty? _That's_ what you're complaining about right now?"

Misty's only response was a sour look.

The four of them entered the Gym with terse silence. Ash's mind was reeling. He was seeing a million memories of Brock, from friend to amnesiac to enemy. The prospect of seeing him again was downright terrifying. He had no idea what to expect of the Brock. Did this Brock even know him? Was his alternate self friends with him?

Ash shook his head. His alternate self was dead.

As Ash woke from his brief daze, he realized he was standing at the end of a battle arena. Misty, Paul, and Dawn were with him, watching him expectantly. Right there, in front of him, a man was hunched, his back to them, busy polishing a Geodude.

Misty looked at Ash, and he knew he should speak, but the man was _Brock._ He could not talk to Brock. The words just wouldn't come.

Rolling her eyes, Misty took it upon herself to initiate the battle. "My friend here would like to challenge you," she declared, and her voice echoed about the empty Gym.

Brock looked up, his face one of shock. "Misty?" he said incredulously.

Misty blanched and stepped back. "Shoot," she hissed.

"I told you," Ash whispered.

Brock stood up and stumbled over to Misty. "Misty!" he cried. He grabbed her by the arms and pulled her into a hug. "Oh my God I thought you were dead."

Brock then pulled away, which Ash was very relieved to see happen—except then Brock _kissed_ Misty.

That really made Ash's blood boil.

Misty practically threw him off. "What—wha—huh?" she gasped.

Brock's brow furrowed in confusion. "Are you all right? What's the matter?"

"What's the matter," Ash snapped, stepping between them, "is that you are touching what isn't yours."

Brock stared down at Ash with his narrow eyes, completely lost. "…what?" he said finally.

"I don't need you to protect me, Ash," Misty declared, stepping around him.

Frowning, Brock folded his arms and scowled. "You… your name is Ash?"

Immediately Ash fell back, losing his anger in favor of his Company training. "Does it mean something to you?" he said warily.

"No, no," Brock assured him, waving his caution away. "You just remind me of someone I knew." His expression grew sad.

If Ash were a bit sharper, he would have made the connection right then and there. But alas, Ash was dull and had a one-track mind. "Who?" he wondered, completely bemused.

Brock just shook his head. "No one, nothing." He turned his attention back to Misty. "What happened to you?"

Misty grimaced. "Look, dude, I'm not the Misty you know, okay?"

Horror crossed Brock's face. "Oh my Arceus," he breathed. "_He_ got you, didn't he?"

"Who?" Misty replied.

Brock looked around warily. "Giovanni," he whispered. He touched Misty's head lightly. "He took your memories."

Misty laughed. "What? No he didn't. I've always been Misty." She looked to Ash for help.

Ash tensed mentally, keeping his physical stature calm. He struggled to aid her, his fingers twitching as he sought for ideas. "Look, we just came here to get a Gym Badge," he stated.

Brock whipped around to stare at him. "What for?" he demanded.

Ash paused in confusion. "To get into the League?" he tried.

"No one has come to challenge me for a badge in a long time," Brock told them.

Ash stopped for a moment to think about what this bit of information had to do with their situation. "And?" he said finally.

"And you show up here with my girlfriend who's been blanked and expect me to give you a battle?" cried Brock.

"What are you talking about, she's _my_ girlfriend!" Ash shouted.

"Because she doesn't remember me!" the Gym Leader argued.

"She _never knew you,_ you nutcase!"

Brock fell silent. "Ash," he said dangerously, "you don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't talk to me like you're my father, _you're not,_" Ash snapped.

"Alex would be disappointed to see his son like this!" retorted Brock.

Ash fumed. "Like what? Defending my girlfriend from a womanizer?"

"I will call your mother, Ash Ketchum," Brock threatened.

Pikachu, Misty, Dawn, and Paul simply gaped at the argument unfolding before them. "Are they old friends?" Paul asked.

Dazed, Dawn and Misty shook their heads.

"Hey bonehead!" Misty shouted, and the two boys snapped their heads around to look at her. "I mean Ash," she corrected. Ash narrowed his eyes. "Are you even listening to what this guy is saying?"

Brock blinked, thinking back to what he had said. Ash just frowned uncertainly. "The part about my dad or my mom?" he called.

"Both parts, you _idiot!_" Misty exclaimed. She pointed at Brock dramatically. "You've never _met him!_"

* * *

><p>Leaf was the first one off the boat, landing delicately on her feet with newfound grace. "I like boats," she decided.<p>

Gary followed, landing with less grace than his girlfriend. Drew came next, allowing his shoes to get wet in order to help the wobbly May out of the boat. "Never," she hissed to him, "again."

Drew pursed his lips. "May, this is an island."

"Then find some other way off it," she ordered viciously.

"I'm hungry!" Leaf called, interrupting them.

Drew looked down at his stomach and realized he was starving. "All right," he promised May. "Are you hungry?"

* * *

><p>"This is a bar," May stated plainly.<p>

Gary lifted the menu and pretended she hadn't spoken. "I want a burger," he declared.

"We are not old enough to be in bars," May continued. "They'll throw us out."

"They'll throw us out if you keep talking like that," Drew told her, opening up his menu.

May looked around the place, deeply unnerved by the fact that it was a _bar._ Bar fights occurred in bars. She sincerely hoped there wasn't one today.

The woman singing on the small stage was nice. Her hair was a bit funky, but otherwise May could find nothing wrong with her. She was currently singing about how she loved it inside out, which May decided not to ponder the meaning of.

"May, aren't you hungry?" wondered Leaf from across the booth.

May paused a moment, considering what the heck kind of bar had booths. "Not really," she answered.

At that moment, Gary happened to glance up. "Uh oh," he murmured, and he hid behind his menu.

"What's the matter?" Leaf queried.

"Hide your face, Leaf," Gary hissed. When Leaf craned her neck to search for the source of Gary's panic, he grabbed her head and forced her down. "Don't do that!" he cried quietly.

"Gary," Drew said in a low voice. "What is it." There was no question in his tone, as if he already knew.

"Rockets."

It seemed as if the entire bar had heard him, because everything went terribly quiet. Even the woman on stage was silent.

Drew carefully turned his head until he saw the two people in Rocket uniforms in his peripherals. They were quiet save for their footsteps. The barstools screeched as they moved them and sat down.

Nothing happened.

"Well?" said one of the Rockets in a dangerously low tone.

The barmaid jumped and scurried away. She returned moments later with two drinks that she placed before them.

"Do you recognize them?" Drew whispered to Gary.

The scientist shook his head ever so slightly.

There was another squeak as the Rocket spun around on his stool. "Well don't stop the party because we're here!" he yelled. "Come on, baby, play something!"

The woman on the stage narrowed her eyes, but she obliged.

Not long after she started playing, chatter began again. A waitress came and took their orders, and ten minutes later the four of them were eating gratefully.

Drew, however, kept watching the Rockets. His ears were pricked, absorbing every word of their conversation. Their own table was silent with fear. May had to force herself to eat. How had the Rockets followed them into this universe? Or were there Rockets in both?

May started as Drew rose to his feet. She had been so lost in her thoughts she had forgotten he was there. "Drew," Gary said quietly. Drew ignored him, edging out of the booth and walking away. "Drew! Are you insane? Don't do this!"

Confused, May looked to Leaf. "What's going on?" she mouthed.

Leaf shrugged and watched with interest.

Drew approached the Rockets and politely tapped one on the shoulder. May gasped with fear. "Excuse me," Drew said.

The Rockets turned around, their eyes gleaming and thrilled. "Yes?" they answered.

"I do not appreciate," Drew told them dangerously, "the things you are saying about my friends and me."

The Rockets exchanged a look. "You've got sharp hearing, ain't cha?" one said.

"Perhaps you shouldn't be eavesdropping," the other remarked, a thoughtful look on his face.

"Or," the first one added, standing up, "perhaps we should teach you some manners, hm?"

His partner also stood. "Perhaps we should," he agreed.

"Oh no!" May whispered.

"Calm down," Gary said. "He wanted this." Under his breath, he mumbled, "Idiot."

The entire bar had gone silent again. Every person and Pokemon was watching with bated breath, the air terse as Drew and the two Rockets faced off.

Nonchalantly, one of the Rockets strutted over to the stage. The singer glared down at him with disgust as he winked at her. "Play something fast, doll," he requested.

The singer rolled her eyes, but nonetheless she nodded at the drummer. Immediately he crashed on his symbols and began playing a fast-paced beat. The Rocket turned back to Drew as the bass kicked in, and our green-haired hero realized he had attackers on both sides.

"Have you ever watched Drew fight?" Gary inquired. He set his elbow on the table and leaned on it.

Both girls shook their heads.

Gary smirked. "It's certainly entertaining."

With a cry, one of the Rockets leapt at Drew. "_He got me with a hook,_" the woman sang. Drew ducked under his punch and swung a kick that collided with the man's forearm. The other Rocket snuck up behind him, wrapping his arm around Drew's neck. His airways were suddenly cut off.

Bug-eyed and desperate for breath, Drew flailed as the other Rocket recovered from the kick, landing a leg on the man's side and making him collapse. Drew grabbed onto the Rocket's arm around his neck, planted his feet on the ground, jumped up and swung.

The Rocket was thrown into the dirty bar floor face first. Drew twisted just in time, only landing painfully on his elbow. He undid the man's slackened grip and jumped to his feet. His heart was pounding wildly, blood in his ears. Adrenaline ran through his veins, getting him higher than any drug.

Both Rockets struggled to their feet while Drew bounced around eagerly. Oh boy were they in for it. He could not help smiling.

"Stop smirking," one of them snapped.

A laugh escaped Drew. "I'm not," he said.

Infuriated, the Rocket threw his fist at Drew's face. Drew dodged like a tetherball, his smile growing with each punch. The man kept throwing punches, and Drew kept swerving to avoid them. The other carefully made his way around the skirmish, looking to assault Drew from behind.

"Seven o'clock!" Gary called.

Drew whirled around the wrong way. The grunt grinned with glee and aimed for Drew's neck, but he whipped back around too fast. He nailed the Rocket grunt in the face, and blood immediately poured from his nose. "That was five o'clock, stupid!" Drew shouted.

Gary shrugged, indifferent. "_Johnny got a boom boom,_" the singer continued. "_Johnny got a bam._"

The Rocket behind Drew pulled a gun out of his jacket and put it right up against Drew's green skull. Drew felt the metal on his scalp. With a small breath, he spun around and knocked the gun away with the back of his hand. His leg swung at the other man's, bringing him to the floor.

Now on the floor, the Rocket wrapped his arms around Drew's legs. With his balance lost, Drew fell. The grunt with the bloody nose, still on his feet, grabbed a barstool and brought it down on Drew's back.

Drew collapsed with a moan of pain. May went to get up, panicking, but Gary raised his hand. "Wait, wait," he said. "It's getting good."

May was about to protest when Drew flipped over on his back and kicked down the other Rocket's legs. All three men were on the floor now. Drew crawled towards one, who scurried away frantically. The other latched onto Drew's legs like a parasite.

Again, Drew twisted, making him lose his grip. He kicked the man square in the face, sending the blood already welling down his nose everywhere.

The other Rocket had gotten back on his feet. He bolted to May, Leaf, and Gary's table, making May scream in fright. He woozily grabbed May's unfinished dinner and hurled the plate at Drew. Gary nonchalantly removed his plate from the table and continued eating his fries.

The plate crashed not far from Drew's head. The shattering left his left ear ringing, and a shard of ceramic cut his cheek. Taking advantage of Drew's distraction, one Rocket pulled out a pokeball.

It was within range of Drew's leg, so he kicked it. The ball went flying, cracking open some feet away. "Oh now that's not fair," Drew complained.

"Girafarig, get him!" the Rocket ordered.

The Pokemon stamped its hooves angrily and charged. Drew rolled out of the way and looked at Gary. "Now I could use some help!" he shouted.

Gary cupped his hand around his ear. "You what? I couldn't hear you over the sound of your collapsing pride."

Drew gritted his teeth. "You douche, just help me!"

"I'll help you!" Leaf exclaimed. She stood up eagerly in the booth and chucked her pokeball as hard as she could.

The ball, by impeccable bad luck, hit a pillar and ricocheted in the direction of the stage. Dejected, Leaf slowly lowered herself back into the booth and said nothing.

Her pokeball opened with a flash of white light that only a few people paid attention to. Jigglypuff appeared, arms splayed in the classic "Tada!" pose. However, everyone was watching the fight, not it.

"Jiggly!" it said indignantly, placing its pink stubs on its bulbous hips. She turned away from Drew impressively going from his back to his feet as the Girafarig charged again, and instead her eyes fell on the stage. Which had a microphone. And lots of speakers.

The pink Pokemon could hardly contain its glee. It waddled up to the stage, where the musicians had long sing stopped playing in favor of observing the fight. Jigglypuff wiggled the microphone from the grasp of the distracted singer. "Jiggly!" it exclaimed, grinning.

No one looked.

A vein throbbed in the nonexistent forehead of Jigglypuff. She wanted their attention. And what better way to get it, she reasoned, than to wow them with her amazing voice?

A soothing melody filled the ears of everyone in the bar, making their eyes droop. Drew's punches got slower and heavier. The Rockets were likewise, lagging as they fought to remember their slogan. The barmaid dropped the glass she had been holding. Heads dropped into their dishes.

Everyone fell asleep.

***AN: Screw editing. I'll do it later. Point out mistakes and win a prize. I'm so sorry I'm late. I had three AP tests, just became swim team captain, got a job (starting the 4th!) teaching swim lessons (which I've no idea how to do), senior friends graduating, Merlin fics that I really need to stop, and a newfound friend in my English class. Busy...**

**Thank you guys so much for still reading. It makes me SO happy. I'll try and update faster because summer is coming, okay? **

**For best enjoyment, listen to** Imelda May "Johnny Got a Boom Boom" **during the fight scene. Link: youtube .com/watch?v=OhogVvwbwkw&ob=av3n*****  
><strong>


	16. Chapter 16

_Sixteen_

Brock did not like this one bit. His girlfriend, who had been missing for nearly a month, was suddenly before him, sitting at his dining table with a cold cup of coffee in her hand and no memory of him at all. And next to her, gripping her free hand possessively and glaring daggers at Brock, was Ash Ketchum. Delia's son.

The one whose neck had been wrung by his schoolteacher.

Brock had attended the funeral. He had stayed with Delia for two weeks, helping her cope. He still visited on the weekends, and always made sure to bake something sweet for her.

And yet here was Ash Ketchum, ten years older than the boy buried in Pallet Town, both him and not him at the same time. Brock could not fathom it.

"We came here for a Gym Badge."

Brock looked to his left. The boy with purple hair had spoken, his arms folded firmly across his chest and a steely glint in his eyes. Next to him, the blue girl blinked. She looked unsure, though it was not Brock she was looking at.

With a low sigh, Brock replied, "Dead people don't fight battles."

He saw Misty stiffen. "What do you mean?" she demanded. It was a tone she had rarely used around Brock. Instead of the confident swag she usually possessed, she sounded panicked and wary. She glanced at Ash, who was looking at Brock challengingly. "Ash, what does he mean?"

Ash did not hesitate, per se, but rather mulled over his answer. "It means the me from this world is dead," he said quietly.

Misty's jaw dropped. Brock paused, trying to figure out Ash's words.

The blue girl—Dawn, her name was Dawn—broke the horrible silence. She kept her gaze fixed on the grooves in the table, tracing one with her nail. "All of us are, aren't we." It was not a question.

Ash nodded without looking at her.

"That's why Team Rocket found us," Dawn went on. She was surprisingly calm. "Paul was next on their list."

Paul sat up in a panic. "What?" he cried. "What do you mean? I have done _nothing_ wrong!"

Dawn smiled wanly. "Actually," she said, "you have."

Paul gaped at her. "What are you talking about?"

"Not you," Ash added. "The other you. From where we come from."

Paul narrowed his eyes. "The real me?" he said in a hard tone.

Ash nodded, missing Paul's inflection completely. "Yes. He's… not the most innocent person."

At this, Dawn gave a small chuckle.

Paul glanced at Dawn, wary of her now. Her laugh made him nervous. "I'm a criminal?" he asked. He did not want to believe it.

"No, you're an agent of the government," Ash corrected. On his shoulder, Pikachu scowled.

It was Brock's turn to snicker. "Is there a difference?" he wondered.

Misty looked at Ash. "Little," she said quietly.

"Look, Brock, we—," Ash began, but Brock cut him off.

"And am I in this world?" Brock asked. "Did you know me there?"

Ash paused. His brow knit together, deciding on truth or lie. "Yes," he stated. "We were good friends."

Brock pointed at Misty now, his tone still laced with disbelief. "And this Misty is not my Misty, is it? She's from a parallel universe or something?"

Misty nodded fervently.

For a moment, Brock grinned, his shock keeping his humor alive. But his grin soon faltered, giving way to panic. "What…?" he gasped.

"I'm sorry," Misty tried.

Brock shook his head. "No, no it _has_ to be you, you… we… _no!_" he shouted, slamming his fists on the table.

Everyone jumped in surprise. "Brock, calm down—."

"Then where's Misty? The _real_ Misty?" Brock cried. "My Misty, where is she?"

"Do _not _call her fake," Paul snapped, turning all eyes on him. "She is as real as you are."

Brock ignored him, too caught up in his own panic. "She said something," he mumbled, running his hands through his hair. "Something… about the stars." He growled in frustration. "I can't remember!"

At the word "stars," Pikachu's ears pricked up. "Pi?" he queried.

"No, stars," Ash corrected.

"Look, Brock," Paul said in an exasperated tone. He sounded eerily like the other Paul. "All we need is a Gym Badge, and then we will be gone. Okay?"

For a moment, Brock was silent. Then he nodded, more to himself than anyone. "Yes, yes, I'll… I'll get you a Gym Badge."

Ash scowled. "You won't make me fight for it?"

Brock waved him away. "I don't care," he stated. He pushed his chair back with a screech and left the room.

Paul sighed. "What a pain," he complained.

"What did I say to him?" Misty wondered. She blinked. "I mean, the other me. I want to know."

"It has nothing to do with us," Ash told her.

Dawn shrugged. "It might."

"Pika!" Pikachu exclaimed, tugging on Ash's sleeves. "Pi, pika chu cha!"

Ash rolled his eyes. "Pikachu, he said 'stars.' That has nothing to do with the Legendary Pokemon."

"Pika pi!" the mouse insisted.

"Paul, have you ever heard of the Legendaries being called stars?" Ash asked.

Paul hesitated, thinking. "I wasn't interested in Legendaries," he said plainly.

Brock returned then, with a bag of Gym Badges and a piece of paper. "I wrote it down," he panted, as if he had been searching frantically. "I… I thought I lost it, but here it is. The last words Misty ever said to me." He tossed the bag on the table and gripped the paper with both hands. "'The stars are dead,'" he read. "'Look no further.'"

For a moment, all was quiet.

And then, all hell broke loose.

* * *

><p>It was the quivering of the earth that woke May. She sat up bolt right, terrified to find the ground quaking beneath her. She had never experienced an earthquake. Her vision was blurred from the movement, tables and chairs shook and toppled, bottles broke, the instruments tumbled off the stage and the microphone screamed.<p>

For some reason, despite never having lived through a quake before, May could tell this was no natural occurrence.

She could hear screaming in the ground. Like some great monster was pounding the ground from underneath.

More screams, these ones from the air. May looked out the window, gasping when she saw the birds.

They were huge. Giant, enormous, colorful, _big_ birds. They soared together in a sort of flock, looking more like a mob than an organized entourage. Each one screeched loudly, and as they passed overhead, the window cracked and shattered. May screamed, shielding herself. She looked around, seeking Drew.

The bar was wide awake now. Mouths were open in panicked yells that could not be heard over the tumultuous roar of Pokemon. Somehow, Drew was on his feet. He stumbled over to her, barely able to keep his balance on the unstable ground. "Get up!" he shouted, hoisting her up by her armpits. "Get out! Everyone, out!"

There was a loud cracking noise that seemed to come from everywhere. Everyone went silent, terrified of what they had heard.

Another crack, louder than before.

There was full panic then. The people of the bar began screaming, hurling themselves towards the door, piling up as they struggled to leave. As May watched, a woman got thrown down, and she disappeared under the feet of all the people.

"Gary!" Drew screamed. "Where the hell is Leaf?"

Gary was already frantically looking around, seeking his girlfriend in the chaos. "Leaf!" he shouted. "_Leaf!_"

May saw her first, making her way to her Jigglypuff, which had floated up to the ceiling in fright. "Return!" she called. The flash of red lit up the bar.

"Leaf!" May shouted, waving. The brunette turned to look at her. "Let's go!"

Leaf took a step just as the wall exploded inward.

Gary screamed as he was thrown back from the force of it. May was on her feet long enough to see Leaf disappear behind dust and rubble. She landed beside Drew, who was on his feet again in an instant. May looked up at him, her heart breaking at the bloody cut on his forehead. A memory flashed through her mind, watching Cynthia claw Drew's unmarred face. Now the scars were dulled by the fresh injury, but May could not forget they were there.

"Get up!" Drew was yelling again. May got to her feet on her own this time, ears ringing from the explosion. There were fires, and the air felt warm and muggy. "We have to run!"

"What's going on?" May shouted back.

Drew pointed, then left her to help Gary. May looked to where Drew had pointed, through the new giant hole in the wall, and she saw why they had to run.

The sky was black, with dark clouds roiling up above. May stumbled out the hole, her mouth hanging open in disbelief. On the island she could see as far as the horizon, and the clouds stretched as far as she could see. Lightning flashed wickedly, and the thunder was near deafening.

But that wasn't why they had to run. No, May could feel that creeping up behind her, the heat of it making sweat form in the small of her back, on her calves, under her arms, everywhere. Afraid of what she would see, May slowly turned around.

The volcano had erupted. Magma was gushing down the sides of the rock and ash spewed from its top. The lava had reached the base and was crawling towards the town.

The most terrifying part, however, was the beasts.

May had no other word for them. There were two that she could see, one scuttling back and forth in the advancing lava, like a spider that favored heat. The other was a monster if she ever saw one. From here, May could only see the silhouette, howling as it clawed its way out of the volcano and slid down the magma sides. A dinosaur. That was what it was. A Tyrannosaurus rex.

It roared.

The ground itself shook. Cracks split the cement under May's feet. She screamed and scrambled backwards, tripping over rubble from the bar. Lightning cracked as it struck a building. One of its walls exploded outwards, and May was showered by bits of siding.

The monster landed hard on the ground and lumbered forwards. The spider rushed back and forth, its legs splashing the lava as it went. The dinosaur followed after it, slower than its companion. May could see its eyes, glowing red like the magma around it.

It was absolutely terrifying.

Someone stepped in front of her. May blinked. Drew? No. Not Drew.

Leaf snapped her fingers. "Drew, Gary, give me your Pokemon."

"Are you crazy?" Gary shrieked.

Leaf whipped her head around to glare at him. "Do I look crazy?" she hissed. Her low tone was so deadly that it carried over the noise around them.

"Yes!" exclaimed Drew. "We need to _run!_ _Now!_"

"I can fight it," Leaf whispered. "I can send it back to where it came from."

"HOW?" yelled Gary. He gripped his hair in frustration, looking ready to tear it out. "You don't know _anything,_ Leaf!"

"Just… trust me," she said.

May stared up at her old friend. They had known each other for years, and she had never seen Leaf exert such certainty, such confidence. It was as if standing here, facing death in a miniskirt and flats, was what she had always been meant to do.

"We're leaving!" Gary cried.

Leaf shook her head. "Your Pokemon," she asked calmly.

Drew stepped up and yanked May to her feet. "You have a death wish," he growled. He pulled her away. "If we leave, maybe she'll follow."

May pursed her lips. No. For once in her life, she was going to take a risk. Now was the time to act.

Without warning, May yanked Drew back towards her, reversing his steps. "What are you—?" he began before he was silenced by her lips.

May kissed him furiously, her hands in the pockets of his jeans, on his belt, up his sides, everywhere. She counted mentally—one, two, three… that was all he had.

She broke off and pecked his lips this time before spinning around and running. Drew stared after her, still dazed. "Hey," he said weakly. Then he felt his pockets. Fear gripped him. "May! NO!"

The brunette laughed with her panic instead of running with it. "Leaf!" she yelled. She hurled the three pokeballs at her friend.

Unsurprisingly, Leaf caught them. Without a moment's hesitation, she hurled them all at the rising lava. They opened just before it, the Pokemon standing strong as she was. "Luxray!" Leaf shouted. "I want lightning on the lava! Thunder, Spark, Discharge, everything! Roserade, every spore you've got, put it on those Pokemon! Then assault it with Magical Leaf. Magmortar, redirect the magma. You know what to do!" Leaf glanced at Gary, her palm open. "Your Pokemon, please."

Gary was not responding, merely staring in utter disbelief. With a smirk, Leaf plunged her hands into the pockets of his lab coat and pulled out three more pokeballs. "Thanks sweetie," she said with a grin.

The dinosaur howled as lightning struck the magma, shocking it and its spider-like companion. An attack, more threatening than any of them had ever seen before, formed between the palms of the beast. Leaf merely smirked. "Bring it on," she murmured.

* * *

><p>Latios and Cresselia came to a sudden stop in midair. Zoey and Steven panted behind them, not happy at having had to climb uphill for so long. "Oh thank God," Steven gasped, collapsing on the ground. "A break." Zoey fell down next to him, eager to be able to rest.<p>

"Did you hear what I heard," Latios hissed.

Cresselia nodded. Zoey stared up at them. "What is it?" she asked.

Latios's face became one of utter distress. "Maybe," he said desperately, "maybe we're both tired and imagining things."

Cresselia pursed her lips and nodded, even as her eyes welled with tears.

Zoey stared at the two Legendaries. "What's wrong?" she demanded.

"'The stars are dead,'" Latios breathed. A few tears leaked out his eyes. "'Look no further.'"

***AN: I updated! See a typo, win a virtual hug! I don't know if t-rex should be capitalized, so let me know on that. **

**On another note, I'm obsessed with Fullmetal Alchemist. It's baaad. Avengers is the greatest movie EVER. I saw Magic Mike. Alex Pettyfer is hotter than Channing Tatum. Um... my mom had foot surgery. I WENT TO GIRLS STATE AND HAD THE BEST WEEK OF MY LIFE EVER. If you want to hear about it, PM me or review or something because I LOVE talking about it. I got whistling outlawed at this camp. Yeah. I felt cool.  
><strong>

**Thank you all for reading and I hope you enjoyed that last bit of Leaf! Special thanks to aznpandagrl for that part. She pointed out that Leaf is actually a very skilled trainer (which I didn't know) and provided for that epicness. Kay bye now.*  
><strong>


	17. Chapter 17

_Seventeen_

An earsplitting scream resounded from the air next to Ash, making everyone at the table cringe. Invisible hands gripped Brock by the shirt, lifting him into the air. "It's not true!" hissed a voice. "Say it's not true!"

All around them, the world erupted into chaos. More screams, roars, and other earthshaking noises sounded, seeming to come from everywhere.

Brock struggled against whatever was holding him, panic alive on his face. "Let go of me!"

"_It's a lie!_" shrieked the voice. Suddenly it was visible, little pink hands grasping Brock's shirt and enormous blue eyes alive with murderous rage. "_Say it's a lie!_"

"W-what is?" Brock stammered.

The floating pink creature screamed in fury. It shot straight up like a rocket, breaking through the ceiling as if it were an eggshell. "Did you hear that?" it screamed, and there was something odd about its voice. It spoke English, yet it seemed to be mewling at the same time. "The stars are DEAD! _DEAD!_" Its voice made them cover their ears in pain, it was so loud.

"What's going on?" Ash demanded. "What was that?"

"Mew!" Brock cried. "A Legendary Pokemon! In my house!"

The screams of pain and fury only escalated with Mew's shout. Pikachu joined with them, howling like a homesick dog and shooting lightning up through the ceiling and into the heavens.

Ash ducked, hiding his head under his arms. He crawled under the table, only to find Dawn and Paul already cowering there, clutching each other like lifelines.

"What's going on!" Paul demanded.

"Where's Misty!" exclaimed Dawn.

Ash felt all the blood drain from his face. He looked around wildly, searching for her red hair. "Misty!" he cried. He scrambled out from under the table, ignoring the danger of lightning, and stood up.

And then he saw her.

She had the door open, as if she had only stopped at the sound of her name. Ash met her eyes, his mouth slightly agape as he looked at her. She was still Misty, but something was… different.

Then, like a panicked deer, she was gone.

* * *

><p>Drew could not stop staring at the sight before him. His Roserade—<em>his<em> Roserade—was taking battle instructions from another Trainer. And not just any other Trainer. A girl who knew positively _nothing _about Pokemon Battles. And using this nonexistent knowledge, she was fighting what appeared to be two volcanic Legendaries.

And she was _winning._

Leaf was commanding _six_ Pokemon at once. That was an entire team. She had Torterra and Roserade assaulting the dinosaur and spider, driving them back the way they had come. Blastoise was covering lava flow, solidifying the magma as it came down the slope and providing new ground for Torterra and Roserade to stand on.

Electivire and Luxray had teamed up, sort of, signaling their fellows when to jump so they could send a bolt of lightning into the ground to shock the spider. Magmortar stayed back, firing long-range attacks on Leaf's command.

"Amazing," Drew whispered. She was like a general, ordering her troops with skill and precision to defeat her foe.

_Steven looked taken aback but their surprise. "Yeah," he said, as if this were obvious. "Being Champion means you're the number one strategist in the region. In the event of a war, you would lead the military with the Elitists and the Gym Leaders."_

Leaf belonged here. In this world. That much was clear.

"_Again!_" Leaf screamed, stepping forward.

Roserade and Torterra reared back with vicious cries. Leaves and vines shot from Roserade, while Torterra crashed back to the ground in an Earthquake attack. The ground trembled, and while the spider Legendary dug its claws in the ground, the dinosaur was thrown off balance. It fell hard, the impact making the world shake tremendously. Drew, Gary, and May were knocked off their feet with it.

"Now! Hydro Cannon, Blastoise!"

The Pokemon obeyed her as if it had known her its whole life, shifting its position to fire at the dinosaur. The beast howled in pain and fury.

"We've almost got it!" Leaf exclaimed. "Roserade, distract the spider. Everyone else, on the T-rex. Go!"

Roserade leapt on light feet and fired Magical Leaf after Magical Leaf at the spider Pokemon, making it scurry in panic. The other Pokemon reared, attacks forming in their maws and claws.

Suddenly, a fire swooped from the heavens and blocked their way. It screeched, so loud that everyone cringed in pain. Drew's eyes started to water. He wanted to never hear again.

"_Stop!_" the fire commanded.

With the horrible screeching over, Drew warily lifted his head.

It was no fire.

A huge, flaming bird stood between Leaf and the dinosaur. Its flames were huge, swollen to make the bird bigger. "This friendly fire must end!" Its deep voice reverberated through the air, making their very bones quiver.

Leaf gaped at the giant bird, as did just about everyone. The bird narrowed its eyes, wings still splayed as a shield. "We are not enemies," it declared.

At any other time, Leaf, Drew, or at least Gary would have snapped back, but they were in too much shock to say anything.

"I am Moltres," the bird went on. "You must forgive Groudon and Heatran. They have both suffered a terrible loss." It lowered his head slightly. "We _all_ have." It looked back to the dinosaur and spider. "We must go to Arceus. And you," it turned to Leaf again, "must rejoin with you fellows from the other world."

Then, Moltres flapped its dazzling wings and flew up into the night. Groudon and Heatran retreated into the volcano at a much slower pace. They glanced back occasionally, and although Drew _knew_ animals could not cry, he swore he saw tears in their eyes.

Beside him, May sank to the ground. "Oh my God," she gasped, shaking. "That was the biggest bird I've ever seen."

Drew knelt next to her. "You sly little trickster," he teased. "I didn't know you had that in you!"

"Whatever I had," she breathed, "it's definitely gone now." She forced a smile.

Gary practically jumped on Leaf. "That was the most amazing thing I've ever seen!" he cried, hugging her tight. "I mean, I can't believe you did that! Trainers can't command six Pokemon at once. No one can! But you did!" He kissed her cheek, since that was all he could get to at the moment. "You're amazing!"

Leaf blushed a little. "I know," she replied with a smirk.

* * *

><p>Ash tore after Misty, flying through the door. Rain hammered down on him, blinding his vision. He screamed after her, but his voice was lost in the tumult around him. "<em>Misty!<em>"

Only the thunder answered.

Swearing, Ash wiped his wet hair out of his eyes and shielded his vision with his hands. "_Misty!_" he shouted again.

She was not there.

Ash pushed his hair back, his heart racing in panic. Where did she go? Why would she just run off? It didn't make any sense! "_MISTY!_" The scream scratched his throat, but even he did not hear it.

Desperate, he looked to the ground. The grass was wet and sopping. Some blades were pressed flat in the mud. Were those footprints?

Ash did not bother to think on it further. He was already charging through the grass, eyes on the ground, following the vague semblance of footprints.

Soon it became unbearably clear that there were no footprints. But Ash did not accept it. He whipped his head around, scanning the ground with hawk eyes. There had to be _some_ clue, something pointing him towards Misty.

But there were none.

Suddenly, Ash realized he was not alone.

He whipped around, and three creatures were standing behind him. One was tall, red, and somewhat humanoid. One was blue and white, resembling something like a cat or a wolf. The third looked like an angry genie, hovering on a cloud with its blue arms folded crossly across its chest.

"What the—?" Ash began, but the genie lifted its hand, and he stopped.

"Forgive us for startling you, Ash," the genie said. He bowed low. "I am Thundurus. We come with a message from Father Arceus."

The cat-wolf stepped forward. "It is more urgent than ever that you complete the mission assigned to you," he stated. Ash stared. It looked like it was… crying? "The Legendaries have suffered a terrible loss, and we are… devastated." He broke off, unable to finish.

The red thing placed a comforting tentacle on the cat's shoulder. "Emotions are running high," it said. Ash could not discern a gender. Its words were a bit garbled, as if it had only recently learned English, and it almost sounded robotic. "Some cannot control them. We apologize for our peers. The current status of the world is regrettable. Forget the Mist female and focus on your task."

Ash blinked. "Wait, what?" he cried. "What are you talking about!"

"It appears I have misspoken," the red thing said. "The Mist girl will be safe. Please. Forget the Mist female and focus on your task."

"In your world, you were an agent of destruction," Thundurus stated, eying the red thing disapprovingly. "You were able to clear your mind of all distractions and complete your mission."

"How do you things _know_ this stuff?" Ash shouted.

"Arceus knows everything," the red robot-thing replied.

Ash shook his head. "I won't do it. I'm going to find Misty, and screw your damn world!" He turned, intending to run off.

The cat-wolf was standing in his way. "You won't find her," he murmured.

Ash went very, very still. The ice cold water that covered him suddenly felt like nothing. He felt nothing. "What did you do to her?" he hissed.

"We have done nothing," Thundurus said, making Ash turn. "She ran of her own accord."

"In your world, she was a fantastic agent of destruction, wasn't she?" the cat-wolf asked.

Ash gaped. "I don't _know!_"

"She will be fine. We will not be," stated Thundurus. "Even now, the mafia man, as you called him, hunts for you. He means to kill you." The genie was suddenly _very_ close to Ash, looking at him with livid yellow eyes. "If you do not find him first, you will die." He pulled back. "Do not waste time looking for the girl. She is safe. But you are not, and neither are we."

"Why can't you kill Giovanni yourselves!" Ash exclaimed. "You're all-powerful Pokemon, the _Legendaries._ What's stopping you?"

The cat-wolf hung his head. "We are terrified."

Ash snorted. "And you think I'm not scared?"

"This Giovanni," hissed Thundurus, "has taken nearly half our numbers and used their power for evil, evil intents. And now, we know he has slain them." His eyes flashed with fear. "We did not know," he murmured, "that we could be killed."

"And why should I care?" growled Ash. He grabbed the chin of the cat-wolf and forced it to face him. "Why should I risk the lives of me and my friends for you?"

"Without us, you won't get home," Thundurus argued.

"I got here, I can get back," Ash snapped.

The red thing spoke up. "If you do not comply," it said, "this world will end."

Ash paused. "What do you mean?"

"I have watched millions of worlds die this way," the red thing declared. "It is a slow, awful death, with fire, hate, and rage. It stirred me. I realized that by watching such things, I felt… things. You call them emotions. I hated to see it. I could not stop watching." It lifted its head and glared at Ash. "I would like to save one world. I would like to help you."

Thundurus and the cat-wolf stared in shock. "Deoxys, are you crazy?" the cat-wolf exclaimed.

Deoxys looked at the cat-wolf. "I am not alive. I do not have fear. I want to fight."

Ash stared at the tall, red thing. "All right," he conceded. "I will kill Giovanni for you." He glowered at Thundurus. "But if Misty isn't alive, if she has so much as a _paper cut,_ I will make you regret even existing. Do you understand?"

At this, Thundurus seemed to smile at him. "Ash," he began, "I am a god to the people of this world. Tornadus is dead, and I was too scared to help him. I'm still too scared. Believe me, I regret _everything._"

And then, Thundurus and the cat-wolf were gone, leaving just Ash and Deoxys.

The rain stopped.

* * *

><p>He decided, in his bright white room, that he was in love.<p>

He was in love with the only person he should never look at again. Not after what he did to her.

With jittering limbs, he paced the length of the room. He knew there were cameras. They were without a doubt watching him quake with fear.

But he was in no way alone in this terrible room. Sure, _they_ thought he was. They probably thought the way he was pacing was because he was losing his mind. He wasn't. He was going mad with fear, yes, and it was _so_ unlike him, and he _was_ seeing things, but he knew why.

He always saw his brother when death was near. He always came, with some bone-chilling advice and a reminder of his age. Twenty-three years old.

Paul thought back to the last time he had nearly died, and he changed his mind. Twenty-three was a terrible number.

***AN: I had something important to put here, but I forgot it. Some of you may remember that I have a handicapped/crippled chicken named Ophelia. She died ten days ago. Which was all right, we knew it was coming, but I can't give her grapes anymore. I miss giving her grapes. **

**Batman premier tonight! And how many of you are reading this instead of going? Anyone? No? Okay. So, find an error, win something.*  
><strong>


	18. Chapter 18

_Eighteen_

The last time Ash was in Viridian, he had just begun his scouting expedition for the Company. They had sent him with a camera, notebook, radiation detectors, a tank of air in case there was no atmosphere, and a rope. The rope was attached to his ankle through the portal, so they could pull him back if needed. However, when Ash came through, he'd found the air not only clean, but _better._ He had been fascinated with the world around him. He cut the rope and explored.

For more than a year Ash wandered the Kanto region. He learned the Pokemon world, he received a Pikachu from a kind professor in Pallet Town, one whose name Ash could no longer remember. Blanking was a thorough and intense process; his memories weren't all going to come back.

Especially, it seemed, those memories of Misty.

No matter how hard Ash tried, he could not recall anything of Misty before meeting her at school. Was she older than she looked? The Legendaries had said she was also an "agent of destruction." So… _had_ she worked for the Company? Had Gary been right?

And where was she now?

If she was smart, not here.

Viridian City was enormous. And, of course, a city. A city full of posters displaying the face of the missing Gym Leader Misty Waterflower.

Yeah, she wouldn't be here.

Apparently, neither was the Viridian Gym Leader.

"She's gone to Pallet Town for the weekend," the smiling girl at the Gym explained to them cheerfully. "But if you come back in a few days, I'm _sure_ she'll be ready for you!"

"Stupid over-happy girl," Paul grumbled as they walked away. He cast a side-glance at Dawn. "I mean… some wear it better than others."

Dawn just nodded. "So, Ash," she said, avoiding Paul entirely, "what do we do for the next few days?"

Ash shrugged. "What do you think, Deoxys?"

The air next to Ash replied, "It would be wise to plan our attack on the mafia man."

Ash nodded grimly. On his shoulder, Pikachu looked at him worriedly. "Pika," it stated, placing a paw on Ash's neck.

"I'm fine," Ash snapped. He plucked Pikachu off his shoulder and dropped it in Dawn's arms. "Hold him, will you?"

Pikachu looked up at Dawn, sadness in its eyes. Dawn sighed. She was so confused. Ash hadn't told them what happened to Misty, or why there was a giant strand of DNA following them around. She wasn't even sure if this was the way home anymore.

Home. Dawn's mind wandered, as it so often did now, to thoughts of her mother. Mom, sewing her dresses for her and matching ones for her dolls. Mom in the kitchen, dropping the whole bottle of vanilla in the cake batter. Mom…

Thoughts of Mom always led to thoughts of Dad. Dawn remembered him rocking her against his chest, stroking her hair as he informed his wife about his day. She could still feel the rumble of his chest as he spoke. The words held no meaning, but that _feeling._ That feeling that he was there, with her, even as she drifted off to sleep…

Nowadays, Dawn could not think of her father without thinking of Paul.

And that was when Dawn pushed all those thoughts away. She couldn't deal with such confusing feelings right now. It made her ache.

They were walking again. Dawn followed, trying to focus on what Ash was saying to the DNA. Something about a place he remembered from last time… or something. Her eyes fell on Paul and suddenly she didn't have a prayer of cognitive thought. He filled her mind completely, and ordinarily she would be okay with it.

But she did not know which Paul she was thinking of anymore. The two were starting to overlap. They were too similar, their differences making them seem more like one person than two.

Abruptly, Dawn hit something. She bounced back, apologizing and rubbing her nose.

"Sh."

Dawn scowled. Paul was staring at her, a look in his eyes she had seen all too often.

In someone else's eyes…

"What's going on?" Dawn asked, desperate to focus on something other than her war-torn heart.

"Sh!"

Dawn realized it had not been Paul who shushed her, but Ash. He was staring at a large TV screen on the building above them. Dawn followed his gaze. It was a live newscast, some sort of morning show. The female reporter smiled, making a joke, and the camera switched to—

The reigning Sinnoh Champion Cynthia.

Dawn gasped. The woman who held a gun to her head, who told her what Paul really was, who _killed_ Mr. Maple. She was here, on the news.

Dawn's skin crawled at the sound of her voice, remembering the heat of her breath in her ear as Cynthia whispered terrible truths to her at gunpoint. Who made her remember Alex.

"Cynthia's alive," Ash murmured. He looked down, his brows knitting as he pondered this. "So that means… Cynthia is dead?" He shook his head, thinking back to the portal. "Who would've killed her?"

Paul would, but it was more likely Cynthia got to him first. Giovanni was dead. Alex… was dead too? Ash hadn't heard of him in this world yet. Meaning…

Nothing. There was no way Ash could be _sure_ who was alive in their world based on who wasn't in this world.

But by that logic, he couldn't tell vice versa, either, right?

Ash blinked. Did he just disprove Gary's theory?

Huh. Felt like it.

* * *

><p>Pallet Town was as small as its name implied—no bigger than and just as oddly shaped as an artist's painting palette. Gary, Drew, May, and Leaf stood on a grassy hill, overlooking the town. Not far off was a small windmill, its blades lazily turning in the breeze.<p>

"Quaint," Drew remarked.

Gary had his map out. "Okay, we go straight through here, and wind up in Viridian in a day or so," he concluded.

Leaf peered over his shoulder, then down at the homes below. "You know, this place feels… familiar." In response to their quizzical looks, she said, "It reminds me of where I grew up. When I was five or six, we moved."

While our fearsome foursome was enjoying the view of the quiet little Pallet Town, a terrible twosome and their Pokemon were not far away, stumbling through the woods and holding their aching backs.

"Jessie, I'm _tired,_" James whined.

"Shut up, James," Jessie snapped. She yanked yet another twig out of her fabulous red hair. "Those twerps! Ooh, what I wouldn't give to get my hands on their Pokemon!" She was, of course, referring to Ash and Misty and their ferocious Gyarados that had sent them blasting off to where they were now.

James sighed. "Kids these days get all the good Pokemon." He looked at his own pokeball wistfully. "Weezing, why can't you be a Gyarados?"

"What about me?" Meowth asked. "I'm a force ta be reckoned with, ain't I?"

It was Jessie's turn to sigh. "Shut up, Meowth," she said halfheartedly. Suddenly, she heard voices. "Hey! Look, James! Potential people to be robbed!"

"Kids!" James exclaimed, joining his partner in peeking over the bush. "I bet they have fantastic Pokemon!"

As they watched, the group of twerps started walking casually down the hill.

Jessie leapt out of her hiding spot. "Come on! Let's steal their Pokemon and rob them blind before they can realize what's happened!"

"I'll get 'em with my Scratch attack!" Meowth said proudly.

"Yeah!" James agreed. Abruptly, his pocket began vibrating. He looked down in confusion.

His dex.

It was _ringing._

James pulled the device out in a panic. "Jessie, help! Someone's calling us!"

Jessie gasped. "Do you… think it's _him?_" she whispered fearfully.

At the mention of _him,_ beads of sweat began to form on Meowth's forehead.

"Do we answer it?" Jessie mumbled, biting at her nails as she peered at the tiny bit of technology.

"Jessie, I'm scared!" whined James.

For a long time, Jessie hesitated. Then, still cowering, she extended an arm and flipped open the dex.

Immediately Jessie and James were saluting and standing at attention. "Sir!" they said in unison, unreasonably happy smiles on their faces.

Meowth gave them an encouraging thumbs up from where he was holding the dex, out of sight of the camera.

"_You two!_" the small man on the screen barked. He was actually a large man, quite tall, but the screen made him diminutive. "_State your position._"

Jessie clenched and unclenched her fist, feeling sweat gather under the glove. "Just south of Pallet Town, sir." At least, it felt like south…

The Champion of the Indigo League nodded. "_Perfect._"

This took the two Rocket grunts by surprise. "Perfect?" Jessie repeated. The boss had never given them such a compliment.

"_Forget about Pokemon for today, troops,_" said Giovanni. "_I want you to scour the area for four kids seen leaving Cinnabar Island._"

From behind the Pokedex, Meowth, thinking back to the twerps they were scouting out earlier, began to count on his paw.

"_Two boys, one with a lab coat and one with green hair, and two girls. Reports name the green one highly dangerous and should not be underestimated._"

Now Jessie was sweating in her hairline. Her carefully applied makeup would soon be smeared at this rate. "Understood, sir," she replied, smiling nervously. "We will start searching right away, sir, call you later, sir." She waved, leaned forward, and pressed a button on the dex.

"Jessie what was that for?" James wondered.

"It's dose twoips!" Meowth exclaimed. "Dem over dere!"

Jessie nodded. "I know, I know!" she growled. She grabbed James. "Let's catch them first before we go telling the boss we have them, hm?"

"Oh, good idea!" replied James.

_Yeah,_ Jessie assured herself weakly. _Good idea._

* * *

><p>Drew led the way through Pallet Town. It seemed he was the only one capable of continuous walking. Gary and Leaf kept getting distracted, drawn to the shops and farmer's market stands and even the people. He had to send May to get them often, as they were prone to staring.<p>

Leaf was full of surprises. Drew's prediction for her behavior was now "anything I _can't_ think of." But Gary… Gary was usually so focused, so on task. To see him distracted like this by their surroundings disturbed Drew.

In fact, it bothered Drew so much that when Gary happened to wander by him, he grabbed him. "What is the _matter_ with you?" he demanded.

"What?" Gary asked, oblivious. He sounded remarkably like Ash.

"You're acting all… not Gary!" cried Drew.

Already Gary wasn't listening to him. "Uh huh," he said absently. He gazed at one of the fruit stands, where a girl was purchasing apples.

"If you keep this up, you'll scare May," Drew continued.

"Yeah I'll get back to you on that." Gary brushed him off and wandered over to the fruit stand.

Drew gaped after him. _Since when do _I_ have to be the adult?_ he wondered bitterly, and he rushed after him. "Gary!" he called.

Gary had reached the wooden stand. The girl had not moved. Cautiously, he approached her.

Leaf and May caught sight of their boyfriends and went to join them, curious.

Drew did not know _what_ Gary was doing, but suddenly the researcher's hand was on the shoulder of the mystery girl.

The girl gave a scream and dropped her apples. They thudded to the ground and rolled off into the street, like round, hobbling fugitives. Gary withdrew his hand.

"Oh, you scared me!" the girl said, turning to give Gary a nervous grin.

Based on the look on her face, Drew bet that had she any more apples, she would have dropped them.

Gary's brow knit in confusion. Drew looked between them. Little flags were going off in his brain, but they were not registering. He was sharply aware he was missing something. Something big.

For a moment that stretched for an eternity, Gary and the girl stared at each other in silent awe. Then Gary retracted his hand further and in a very bewildered voice asked, "Daisy?"

***AN: Lazy author writes short chapter and does not edit. Find error, win a prize! **

**So, school starts tomorrow (it's after midnight, ack!) and I'm gonna DIE. In other news, while I wasn't writing, I watched _Dexter._ All of it. In two weeks. Great freaking show. I also read _Good Omens,_ and wrote a letter to the amazing Neil Gaiman *panic*. And I saw Styx perform. They played "Lady," which will be performed at my wedding. No arguments. Aaaand that's it. See you soon, I hope!*  
><strong>


	19. Chapter 19

_Nineteen_

The girl blinked at Gary. "…Yes," she said slowly. "Do I… know you?" Her fair features folded into a scowl. "You look familiar."

Gary's mind was a whir of numbers and memories. This was her. His sister. This was where she had run away to. Another world, free from their horrible grandfather and the grip of the Company. It was genius. A smile played on Gary's lips. His sister had always been so smart.

Abruptly Daisy clapped her hands. "I remember!" she exclaimed. "You challenged me a few years ago, didn't you?"

All of Gary's thoughts came screeching to a halt. "Um," he said. His brain could not find words.

"I never forget a face," Daisy went on proudly. Then she grimaced. "Names, on the other hand, are nearly impossible for me to remember. Remind me, won't you?"

Panic rose in Gary's chest, making his heart pound. No. Why… why wouldn't she remember him?

Daisy winced at his expression. "Ooh, did I beat you really bad? I'm sorry, sweetie. You can always try again, you know."

"Gary, what's the matter?" Leaf inquired, placing herself at his side. She slid her hand into his, watching him carefully. He did not react.

Suddenly Daisy went from apologetic grinning to a confused scowl. "Excuse me, what's your name?" she demanded.

"Who wants to know?" Drew snapped. He stepped between Gary and the stranger, sensing something was very wrong.

A whistle blew. "What's going on there?" someone snapped, and a woman in blue stepped up to them, an orange dog at her heels.

The girl folded her arms. "Daisy Oak," she declared.

* * *

><p>Latios came to an abrupt halt in midair. He twisted his great neck, red eyes narrowing.<p>

"What is it?" Steven inquired, looking up at the Pokemon above him.

The great bird hesitated. "Something… feels odd," he said vaguely. "Wait here." There was a quiet chime, and Latios was no longer visible. They heard the creature fly, however, leaving them behind.

"What's wrong?" asked Zoey. She turned to Cresselia for answers.

Cresselia seemed uncertain. "The day is not my domain," she said. "My abilities are weakened outside the night." A frown wrinkled her beautiful face. "Though I do admit that something is… off."

Unexpectedly, Zoey winced, grunted with pain, and fell to her knees.

Steven dropped to her side immediately. "Are you all right? Hey, Zoey!"

Zoey plugged her ears, squeezing her eyes shut. "Ow," she breathed.

"What's wrong?" Steven demanded.

"You can't hear it?" Zoey barked. She winced again, sinking lower. "My ears," she whispered.

Latios reappeared, by Cresselia. "We n-need to keep going," he stammered, panic making his voice shake.

Cresslia leaned toward him, her voice dropping to a murmur. "Latios, what is it?"

The blue bird shook his head and swallowed. "Team Rocket is more vicious than we realized. Once we escort the humans, we _must_ go into hiding."

Terror hit the full moon Pokemon like a wave. Her eyes grew scared and wet. "What did you see?" she whispered.

For a long moment, Latios only stared at her. Finally, he said, "We must keep moving." He turned away from her then, refusing to even look at the moon goddess. "Carry her," he ordered, nodding at Zoey.

Carefully, Steven hoisted the whimpering Zoey onto his back. She was heavier than most girls, and he considered making a joke of it, but one look over his shoulder said now was not the time.

Latios nodded, more to reassure himself than anything. Steven peered at him. Seeing the Pokemon he had sought for years, one that he had built up in his mind to be strong and glorious and beautiful— seeing him like _this,_ so weak and scared, was enough to make Steven's knees shake.

"Let's go."

* * *

><p>Drew swore. Daisy glared at him, then turned her eyes to Leaf. "You called him Gary, didn't you?"<p>

Leaf blinked.

"_Didn't you?_"

"Uh, yeah," Leaf said uncertainly.

Daisy shoved Drew to the side, and it was so unexpected that it actually succeeded for a moment. However, in a heartbeat Drew was back between the two Oaks.

"Move," Daisy ordered.

"No," Drew said firmly.

Furious, Daisy leapt at him. Drew was fully prepared to fight her off, but the police woman interfered. "Daisy, what has gotten into you?" she exclaimed.

Daisy pointed one shaking finger at Gary. "Jenny, you look at that boy and tell you me you don't recognize him."

Officer Jenny blinked. She gazed at Gary uncertainly. "Um…"

"Get my grandfather. We need to see him _now._"

"No!" Gary said suddenly, pushing around Drew. "No, not… the professor."

Daisy slapped him across the cheek. The noise was unnaturally loud, causing many bystanders to stop and stare. "How dare you."

Gary was silent.

"Jenny, I don't care if you take him in handcuffs. Get him _home._"

Officer Jenny blinked in confusion. "…Okay," she agreed.

* * *

><p>Ash stepped up to the counter, shifting Pikachu onto it. "Hey," he greeted with little emotion. "Do you have a room for the night?"<p>

Nurse Joy pondered his question. "I will check," she promised, and immediately she began tapping on her computer.

Behind Ash stood Paul and Dawn, awkwardly next to each other. Dawn kept her arms folded in front of her chest. Paul tried not to look at her. Absently, Dawn retrieved her lone pokeball from her belt. Piplup, her penguin. The ball was cool, and yet it felt alive.

Paul cleared his throat.

Dawn looked up. "What?" she asked.

"I, um, nothing," Paul replied. He shook his head and looked down. Dawn continued to stare at him, and her eyes must have made him uncomfortable, because he continued to fidget. "I…" he began, "you look sad."

Blinking, Dawn responded, "I do?"

"A little," Paul corrected. He scowled at the floor, reprimanding himself.

A small smile played on Dawn's lips, and her eyes found the pokeball in her hand again. "I guess I'm just feeling nostalgic." She looked up. "Homesick."

Paul swallowed and looked away from her blue eyes. "So you're going back then?"

"Back where?"

"Where you came from," he clarified. "Home."

Dawn frowned. "Well yeah, of course."

Paul nodded, more to himself than her. He met her eyes, mouth open as if to speak, then shook his head and walked away. Dawn stared after him, utterly bewildered.

A moment later, Ash appeared beside her. "I got a room, where's Paul?" he demanded.

Dawn shrugged.

Ash scowled. "Deoxys, where did Paul go?" he queried.

The air next to him rippled. "I did not see the purple human. Although… I sense a strange presence."

For a moment, Ash looked exhausted. "All right," he surrendered. "Let's go find him." Suddenly, he stopped.

"Ash?" Dawn asked. "What's wrong?"

Ash's eyes stretched wide as pokeballs. "Deoxys, take Dawn and run."

"What?" cried the blue-haired girl.

Ash grabbed her by the shoulders. "Run, _now,_ get as far away as you can." He grasped her chin and forced her to face him. "_Don't look!_" he ordered, for her eyes had slid to the glass doors of the Pokemon Center. "Just get out of here."

"Ash, is Paul okay?" Dawn wondered desperately. But something smooth and slithery snaked its way under her arms and hoisted her up. She screamed.

"We run, small human, as the agent commands," Deoxys said, its voice in her ear.

Dawn clambered up her invisible host, and realized with a jolt that she could not see her own arms. But that did not frighten her. Not as much as what she saw next.

* * *

><p>Gary was taken aback by how similar it looked. His grandfather's lab was nearly identical to the one at the Company, possessing sleek black surfaces and intelligent machines on every wall. Giant windows, bigger than they needed to be, took up every space of wall not covered by monitors. This lab was much messier, as if the professor was disorganized and exuberant. Three legged stools were scattered about the place, like he couldn't choose were to sit.<p>

Drew noticed the sameness as well. He gazed around with a wary glint in his eyes, his muscles tense as if raring to run.

"Grandpa!" Daisy called.

"In the transfer room, dear!" replied a disturbingly familiar voice.

Leaf shifted her weight from one leg to the other. Gary noticed this and winced. Professor Oak had shot her in the leg before they'd rushed through the portal. Seeing him again would not do good things for her.

"Here I am, Daisy, what do you—?" Professor Oak emerged from a doorway on the opposite side of the counter. He stopped dead in his tracks, halfway through peeling latex gloves off his hands. Gary watched him blink repeatedly. "Friends of yours?" he queried, looking to his granddaughter for answers.

Daisy spun around and folded her arms. "Tell him who you are," she ordered Gary.

"Huh?" Gary replied, because the idea was so absurd.

"Go on," she snapped. Daisy jerked her head in the direction of her grandfather. "Tell him your name."

"Yes, tell him." Gary jumped. He hadn't expected to hear Drew's voice.

"What are you doing?" Gary hissed.

Drew just narrowed his eyes. "Math," he murmured. "Something doesn't add up, and I'm counting on you giving me the missing variable."

Gary gave Drew a _look._

"Damn right something doesn't add up," agreed Daisy.

Professor Oak smiled uncertainly. "I'm missing something," he said, attempting to break the tension in the air.

"This isn't the way to do this," Gary informed them.

"Are we supposed to know who they are?" May asked, her voice low, but everyone heard her anyways.

"I know him," Leaf said bitterly. She lifted her already shot skirt up, revealing a poorly healed scar. "Recognize this?"

Professor Oak only saw scandal. He raised his hand, blocking her from view. "Young lady, what are you doing?" he cried.

"_You_ did this to me!" shrieked Leaf. "Can't stand the sight of your own _mess?_"

"Leaf, stop!" Gary nearly shouted, jumping to her side. "It's not him."

Leaf blinked. "Of course it's him!" she exclaimed, gesticulating wildly. "Don't tell me you don't recognize your own grandfather!"

Those words seemed to freeze the air.

Professor Oak grasped his heart. "You… no… you're not real. You're a fake!"

"No, Grandpa," grumbled Daisy. "It's Gary. Back from the dead."

The old professor's legs grew weak, and he crumbled to the floor, his hand desperately hanging on the countertop.

Daisy advanced toward Gary. "Do you have a scar?" she inquired, though her voice was far from curious. It oozed sarcasm and hate. She peered at his forehead, which was not hard, as she was taller than him. "The bullet went right _here._" She poked him sharply, causing him to retreat. She only followed. "I don't see any sort of mark. Miraculous, eh?"

"Daisy, stop this, you've got it all wrong," Gary fumbled, scrambling back.

"A bullet?" repeated Drew, incredulous. "You were shot?"

"No, I wasn't!" Gary insisted, then he grimaced. "Well, I was, but that wasn't me!" He sighed. "I mean, ack, I don't know!"

"You're not Gary Oak?" Daisy demanded. Her voice went up an octave. "I'm not your _sister?_"

"No! I mean yes! What the—."

"You _died,_ Gary! I watched them lower you into the ground. I visit your grave every Saturday. And now, after all these years, after all that _grief_ and _torment_ and… and _agony,_ Gary… you're saying that didn't happen?" Daisy's eyes were red and wet.

Gary bit his lip and didn't know what to say.

Gently, Drew stepped between Gary and his sister. "There is something we need to explain," he said. His dark eyes flickered to Gary. "All of us."

* * *

><p>No one sat down. Gary wished they would. It was much more intimidating when everyone was standing.<p>

For a long time, there was silence. Gary's final syllable hung in the air like a death sentence. His palms were getting sweaty. He had always hated public speaking. Desperately, he wished someone would speak.

"…So." Professor Oak was the one to break the silence. "You are not my grandson."

Gary nodded.

"But you are the grandson of Samuel Oak."

Again, he nodded.

Professor Oak looked to Leaf. "And this Samuel Oak shot you, and tried to kill his own family."

Leaf nodded vigorously.

Daisy then spoke up. "And you, Leaf, you look an awful lot like a little girl who drowned here six or seven years ago."

"Do I," Leaf said, her voice faint.

"Gary," said Drew quietly. His eyes were trained on the floor. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"As if we need anything else screwing up our mission," Gary snapped.

"If I'm dead, I want to know about it!" retorted Drew. He shook his head. "Stabbed to death. What an awful way to go."

May, who had been chewing on her lip for the greater portion of the discussion, lifted her eyes to meet Gary's. "Does anyone else think it's odd," she began, "that all of us are dead here?"

Everyone stared at her. "No, death here means alive in our world, and vice versa," Gary explained.

"That doesn't make any sense," May argued.

There was a collective hesitation from the group. "Elaborate, please," Gary requested.

"Why would a parallel world house all the dead? And how could it go both ways?" May wondered. "That would be a loop, right? Because as soon as someone dies, they're automatically replaced in the other world. It doesn't move forward."

"Paradox?" Leaf offered.

May shrugged. "Something like that."

Gary gaped at her. "You have no idea how much I hope you're right," he stated.

May blushed, shrugging her shoulders up in embarrassment. "It's not that clever," she murmured.

"But if she _is_ right," Drew started, "then we have a very big coincidence in which we are all dead. Actually, _murdered._ We've all been murdered. That doesn't happen by accident."

"Murdered before you could start your Pokemon journeys," Daisy muttered.

"What?"

Daisy glanced up from the floor. "You don't have Pokemon journeys?"

"We don't even have Pokemon," Gary told her.

For a moment, Daisy looked as if Gary had said the sky was purple. Like it just wasn't possible. "Well," she said finally, "here, when you turn ten, you generally receive a Pokemon and then you… go out into the world and learn how to live."

Leaf gawked. "At _ten?_"

"Ten years old?" May agreed. "No way."

"Killed before they could receive Pokemon," Professor Oak mused. "Gary—." His voice hitched. "M-my grandson," he clarified, "passed on a week before his tenth birthday."

"I remember," said Daisy.

"There has to be a connection," Drew muttered, walking over to the window. "Paul was always better at spotting these things."

"Or Ash," Gary pointed out. "He might be able to see it."

Drew sighed. "Who knows anymore?" He gazed out the glass at the grassy hill. Dark clouds had started gathering. Abruptly, he squinted. "What the—?"

The glass exploded inwards, and Drew screamed, whipping around and clutching his face. The rest of them ducked instinctively, and were showered with debris.

"Jessie, I thought we were being subtle!"

"A rocket launcher _is_ subtle, James. And much more exciting. Go, Arbok! Get them!"

"…Weezing, help her out."

Gary coughed and tried to see through the smoke. The room was colder, with wind blowing through. Something slithered in the fog, hissing quietly. Gingerly, Gary touched the back of his head, and winced. He inspected his fingers for blood. None. Good.

Suddenly Gary was squeezed, his arms pressed to his sides. He struggled, but to no avail. Something scaly and purple had wrapped itself around him and was holding him captive.

One of the girls screamed. Whatever this thing was, it was _big._

The thing dragged Gary along as it snaked through the room. He could see the shapes of his friends as it captured them too. The smog just got thicker.

Finally, their slithery purple ride emerged from the smoke, and Gary saw the extent of the damage to the lab. The entire wall had been blown off. The windmill was missing a blade. The grass was singed and black.

And there, on the edge of the burnt grass, stood Jessie and James.

Gary recognized them immediately. Jessie and James had switched sides and come to work for the Company. Jessie had helped Ash dress as a girl and win information from that politician. They always sat at the back left table in the lunchroom. Jessie wore flashy clothes and James kept to himself.

These were not Jessie and James.

They were dressed in matching white uniforms, with a giant red R emblazoned on their chests. Jessie had an enormous rocket launcher slung over her shoulder

"Good job, Arbok!" Jessie congratulated, and she reached up to scratch the scaly head of an enormous purple cobra.

"Da boss will be so happy!" exclaimed the Meowth at their feet.

"It talks?" Professor Oak said wondrously.

"Ooh, Jessie, look!" James pointed. "We've caught the great Professor Oak in our net!"

"And is that the Gym Leader of Viridian?" Jessie asked, shading her eyes to see better. "We're sure to get the bonus now!"

"Team Rocket," Daisy spat.

Jessie gave her a simpering look. "You never were a fan of ours, were you?"

"Giovanni is a monster," she continued.

"Oh, don't tell us," James said, smirking. "Let him know yourself."

***AN: I had a nice long AN for you and then my internet died. So find a typo, win my heart. **

**Personal update: wisdom teeth pulled (threw up twelve times cuz pain killers suck), new Merlin, Doctor Who disappoints me, read Dante's Inferno and the Mark of Athena (please someone talk Percy Jackson to me), high school swimming not so well, graduating this year, tada. Hopefully I can update again before NaNo.*  
><strong>


	20. Chapter 20

_Twenty_

Ash gritted his teeth as he pressed his back against the counter, crouched low so as not to be seen. It was useless, he knew. They had seen him. But maybe if he kept down, he could figure out a way to escape.

Not likely.

His eyes darted around the Pokemon Center. The sliding glass door had been shattered inwards, littering the lobby with shards of glinting eyes. Fires smoldered from the attack move something had used, and the walls were blackened.

Those who were still in the Center were behind the counter with him. Nurse Joy kept her terror in check, though she shook violently. Some of the patrons had initially opted to fight their way out, but they were soon dissuaded and had taken to cowering with Ash and Joy.

Ash swallowed thickly and wiped at the sweat on his brow. What he wouldn't give for a gun right now. Pikachu, sparking at his side, was injured, and its attacks could only kill when it was at full strength. Yes, he knew that. He had electrocuted men before.

Nurse Joy scooted over to Ash, pushing aside rubble and dust. Her pristine outfit was dirtied and singed, and her pink hair was a disaster. "Did you see?" she hissed. "Those _things?_"

Trembling, Ash nodded.

The nurse blinked and rubbed at her eye, hiding tears. "What _were_ they?"

Ash took a deep breath. "I don't know."

"_Attention Viridian City Pokemon Center,_" a voice called. It was amplified, as if through a loudspeaker or bullhorn. "_Would you please send one Mr. Ash Ketchum out?_"

Ash felt a chill. He recognized that voice.

"_Now._"

Nurse Joy looked at him. Ash stood. "What are you doing?" cried the nurse.

Ash scooped up Pikachu and placed the weak animal on his shoulder. "What I have to," he told her.

He walked through the rubble lobby with his head held high. Chills raised his skin, slowed his step, and clenched his fists, but he kept going. He had seen what was out there. Heard it. _Smelled_ it. It was going to be the worst thing he had ever experienced.

His tennis shoes crunched on the broken glass strewn about the floor. The wind from outside lifted his hair slightly, and assaulted his nose with that horrible stench.

"_Thank you,_" said the man with the bullhorn. It scratched as he flicked it off.

Ash's eyes flicked around. His heart beat faster as he looked at the things around him. There was no way to describe them, other than _horrible._

He recognized them vaguely. They still retained their physical shape. But their flesh had gone black or green, and their eyes a sickly yellow color. In some cases, Ash could see their innards. Skin peeled away from bone, revealing mottled tissue, infected wounds, and the like. The bases of their feet and underbellies had gone dark with the settling of their blood.

These were the Legendaries. And they were dead.

Worst of all, they did not make their typical cries. They emitted a stranger noise, one of despair and resignation, low and high at the same time. It made Ash shiver.

Finally, Ash's eyes settled on the man with the megaphone. He swallowed like a cartoon character. "Alex," he said with a nod, careful not to call him Dad.

Alexander Regis Ketchum smiled warmly, spreading his arms wide as if to hug him. Ash kept his distance. "Ash Ketchum," he greeted, without the megaphone. "So nice of you to recognize me."

Ash pursed his lips. Alex had not called him 'son.' He had been expecting it, as some form of taunt. However, Ash decided against bringing it up. He tapped his fingers on his leg and said, "Where's Paul?"

"Who, the angry one?" Alex laughed and refolded his arms. "Don't worry, he's waiting for us. I sent him on the express train." He jerked his head to the rotting Pokemon around them.

Ash shuddered for Paul.

Alex looked around Ash and into the Center. "Weren't there others with you?" he wondered.

"No," Ash said immediately. "Just the two of us."

For a moment, Alex scrutinized him. Then he shrugged. "Well, whatever. If there are any more they'll show up." He turned to one of the many Rocket grunts nearby, holding guns and hoses. "Go check."

The grunts nodded and filed away.

Alex grinned. "Now that we're alone, I have a question for you."

Ash hesitated, evaluating his opponent. In size and probably strength, Alex had the advantage. Ash was (hopefully) faster, but he really didn't like the way his father was beaming.

"Are you," Alex began, still smiling, "the one… who killed my daughter?"

It was as if a record had been interrupted, and Ash stopped thinking. "Wait, what?"

"Did you kill my daughter, Ash Ketchum?" Alex murmured. The happy smile had dropped from his lips.

Ash blinked. "You don't have a daughter," he stated.

"Not since she died, no," agreed Alex.

Still confused, Ash said, "You have a son. Me. You're Alex Ketchum."

"No. And you are not answering my question."

"Because it doesn't make sense!"

Alex sighed. "Perhaps Giovanni can make you talk."

It would seem that Alex also had a speed advantage, because in a flash he had crossed the distance between him and Ash and hurled the younger man onto the back of one of the dead Pokemon. Ash nearly screamed.

Alex said something, but Ash did not hear him over the pounding terror of his heart and the keening the Legendaries were making. Suddenly, the corpse he was on took off into the air, and he gripped its filthy feathers in an effort to stay on.

The ground disappeared with sickening speed. Ash wanted to vomit from the height and the stench. The creature thrust forward, and Ash dug his fingers into it as he nearly slid off. The thing did not even notice.

Ash had an awful feeling as to where he was going. There was no way around it. He could only grasp the dead bird, close his eyes, and wait.

* * *

><p>Zoey dug her fingernails into Steven's shoulders. The ex-Champion winced painfully, but he did not complain. He could hear something now, which, for some reason, was amplified for the young Coordinator. And if she had been hearing this horrible sound for as long as she had, Steven was going to let her do whatever she wanted.<p>

"Latios," Cresselia whispered. She twisted her crescent neck around, her lunar eyes full of fear. "I can see them." The half moon shone on her, making her glow.

"This is where we part," Latios stated. He bowed his head, polite and British as ever. "Godspeed, young Trainers."

Cresselia grabbed the bird Pokemon. "We can't just _leave_ them to that!" she exclaimed.

"We cannot face that!" cried Latios, equally as insistent.

Steven felt chills creep up his back. Even the heat of Zoey against him was losing warmth. Something had the Legendaries running scared, and whatever it was couldn't be good.

The screechy low moans reached his ears again. He grimaced. Zoey groaned and buried her head deeper into Steven's neck.

"We _must_ protect the humans! They _worship _us! How can we abandon them?"

"I am not sending you to your death, Cresselia!"

"Then don't."

All arguments ceased with the emergence of the new voice. Steven looked around. He squinted in the darkness, in the direction they had just come. A figure appeared, lithe and small. Her eyes glinted, like some mischievous cat, and yet…

"Misty?" questioned Steven.

Misty's face materialized from the dark. "Hey," she greeted casually.

* * *

><p>"…and don't nobody get any ideas about runnin'," Meowth snapped, tying the last of them with rope. "Got it, twoips?"<p>

"Not you, of course," James said apologetically to Professor Oak. "You're not a twerp, we don't see you that way." He paused. "But still, don't run."

The professor scowled, but did not reply.

"Yes boss," Jessie was saying into her dex. "Absolutely, sir, right away." She hung up and strutted over to them. "Well twerps, looks like you all have a very special appointment." She grinned. "One that would be very bad if you missed."

Daisy snarled at her. "Do you know who I _am?_ People are still looking for Misty, imagine what they'll do when they find out I'm gone! Not to mention my grandpa. Are you Rockets really as dumb as you look?"

Jessie glared. "You're not as important as you think," she snapped. "James, go get the car!"

* * *

><p>"But I thought you were with Ash!" Steven said, confused.<p>

"I was," Misty stated.

Steven blinked. "What happened?"

A sigh left the redhead's lips. "It turns out," she began carefully, "that I don't know as much about myself as I thought I did." She met his eyes. "In my… home universe, I was one of the people sent out here to explore this one."

Latios and Cresselia floated down to listen. Even Zoey tried to be attentive.

"I used to travel around Kanto," Misty went on. "With Ash. We were partners. And… maybe a bit more. But things went really wrong, really fast, what with… Alex and everything. We had to relocate. I personally erased Ash's memories." She hesitated. "I never thought they would take mine too." For a moment, Steven feared she would cry. But Misty wiped at her cheek and composed herself. "Anyways, my memories came back and I panicked. So I ran."

"Fool!" Latios exclaimed. "Running off when things are as bad as they are?" He snorted. "Agent of stupidity!" he mocked.

Misty smirked. "Call me that and I'll fill you full of jet fuel, you talking airplane," she snapped pleasantly.

Latios blanched at being rebuked, and he fell silent.

"As it turns out," continued Misty, "I've remembered a lot more than Ash has. And I—or maybe we—knew this, or something like it, was coming." She reached into the pocket of her sweater and removed something Steven had only seen in pictures.

"Is that—?" he breathed, his heart skipping several beats.

"Yep," Misty confirmed. She tossed the glowing red gem and caught it again. "The Enigma Stone."

* * *

><p>James was much nicer than Jessie. He helped all his captives buckle into the backseat since their hands were literally tied, and even asked if it mattered who sat next to whom. May thought he was too nice to be evil. She wished Drew wouldn't snap at him so much.<p>

They drove for quite some time. May had never been good at estimating time—she always exaggerated. The whole time, she was lost in thoughts about her father, mother, and brother. She missed them terribly. And yet… she was starting to like this Pokemon world. Even with all the constant death threats.

When the car came to its final stop, Jessie was the first one out of the car. She opened the door, yanked May out by her ropes, and dropped her on the ground. What May saw made her gasp.

There were exquisite gardens as far as the eye could see, placed artistically around a beautiful domed building. She had never seen such architecture, or plants, or anything. The pillars holding up the golden roof were carved with intrinsic Pokemon battles, the great creatures fighting each other with fire and ice and everything else they could. On every marble step, these words were scripted:

_The battle yields to the strongest_

_All are equal when they fight_

_Weakness is something to be beat_

_To train, to battle, to win_

And other various quotes meant to inspire the aspiring battler.

Leaf fell next to May on the earthen path. "Whoa," she breathed in shock. "Where are we?"

May wished she knew, because even under the circumstances this had just become her favorite place in the universe. She looked to Daisy for answers, hoping she would know. The Gym Leader's narrowed eyes were fixed on the top of the building, her expression unreadable. Curious, May followed her gaze. Inscribed in the marble above the pillars was one word:

_INDIGO_

***AN: Last update till December! Ish. NaNo, you know? Awesome idea this year. I hope I wasn't pushing it with the zombies. It just fit SO well that I had to do it. Reading Hamlet and _Love in the Time of Cholera._ State on Friday, gonna make finals this year I hope! Anyway, love you all and thank you for still reading after all this time!***_  
><em>


	21. Chapter 21

_Twenty-One_

For the past several minutes, Steven, Misty, Zoey, and the Legendaries had been staring at the red stone in Misty's hand.

"So what does it do?" Zoey inquired finally.

Everyone looked to Latios, who seemed surprised to be put on the spot. "Well I don't know, it's an enigma, isn't it?" He rolled his eyes.

"I thought it was blue," Cresselia remarked. "Last time I saw it, it was blue."

Misty frowned. "Yeah, I remember it being blue when I first got it."

At this, Latios swallowed uncomfortably. "The… Enigma Stone," he began hesitantly, "has often been called the Soul Dew, because it always contains the soul of a Latios or Latias." He grimaced. "Currently, it contains… well, instead of my father, my—my sister." Again, he swallowed and looked away, turning transparently pale.

A horrible silence transcended the group. Misty instantly cupped the rock with both hands rather than just one, cradling it.

It was Cresselia who broke the quiet. "If that's true," she murmured, "then that stone holds immense power. More than any Pokemon has in its living body. Well, except perhaps Father Arceus."

Latios nodded, bowing his neck and wiping pitifully at his eyes with he short arms. "It should."

"Imagine what Latias is capable of! If she would just help us—!" Misty broke off abruptly when Latios met her eyes.

"Leave my sister in peace," he ordered. Without warning, the stone began to glow. Misty panicked and nearly dropped it. Suddenly Latios's neck became rigid, his arms hung at his sides, and he ceased to move. A bright glow started from his pupil and overtook his entire eye.

Steven dropped Zoey in surprise. Zoey was so entranced that she did not even yelp. "What's going on?" she whispered, completely mesmerized.

"Sight Sharing," Cresselia whispered. "Latios is sharing his mind with his sister."

For almost a minute, they could do nothing but stare at the floating bird, astounded and terrified by the phenomenon. Finally, he blinked several times and his eyes came out of the glow. He dropped several feet, but managed to catch himself. "You fool," he spat, scowling at the stone with distaste.

"What is it?" Misty wondered eagerly.

Latios spoke with bitterness. "My sister has a plan."

There was silence. Finally, Zoey said, "A good one?"

"A terrible one!" Latios replied immediately.

The Enigma Stone began to glow furiously in Misty's hand. She dropped the rock with a yelp, and was surprised to see the imprint of the stone burned into her palm.

Latios swooped down in time to catch the stone. He looked down as if to scold it, but when the glowing started up again, he swallowed his words. "Very well, you insolent child," he spat. "Do what you will."

"What? What's the matter?" inquired Misty.

In response, the great Pokemon dropped the stone in her hands. It shone a happy red and was warm in her palm. "She is going to help you."

* * *

><p>When the Pokemon (if it could still be called that) landed, Ash himself was half-dead with terror and dizziness. Team Rocket was waiting for him. They helped him off the stinking beast, brushed off the rotting flesh that had stuck to him, shackled his hands behind his back with a pair of intense-looking handcuffs, and led him inside. He was so discombobulated that all he really noticed was the change in lighting. In his mind, he was still atop that terrible creature, senseless and ill from vertigo and fear.<p>

Yes. Ash was terrified. He had no idea what he was facing, and he could not think straight enough to figure it out. All his thoughts swam sickeningly through his head, and he stumbled alongside his guides. Somewhere, in the balanced part of his mind, he told himself, _get it together, you need your wits, focus, focus, focus…_

The dizziness reminded him of the portal. His first time stepping through it, all alone. _Don't come back until you have a specimen,_ they had told him.

A week later, Ash came back through with a dead Pidgey. Back home, only an hour had passed.

_"Why me?" Ash wondered. "Why us? We're… we're kids!" _

_"It's a world of nomadic teenagers," Lance explained. His arms were folded cryptically across his chest, like he didn't trust his words either. "You'll fit right in." _

_Ash looked to his right. The girl leaned onto Lance's desk, furious. "I am a senior officer, and even I don't think I'm qualified for this," she stated in a voice contrary to her fiery expression. "And what's more, you're pairing me with the idiot who broke my bike!" _

_"Are you ever going to let that go?" Ash exclaimed. _

_"Stop!" Lance interrupted, and she closed her mouth. "You two are the most qualified agents we have available at this time. Once Alex and Koga can leave their missions, you two will be free. Until then, you're the alpha team. Explore this new world. Become a part of it. Document _everything._ And then come back." _

_Ash and his partner had no choice but to nod and salute. "Yes sir," they said in unison._

That was before. Before Ash and—what was her _name?_—that girl returned the first time. Before they were sent back. Before Pikachu, before words like Champion and Gym Leader, before Drew and Gary ever enlisted. They were the first ones. And now they were the last ones. Ash, his fogged memory of the redhead, and Pikachu.

Suddenly he was struck by a horrifying, sobering realization.

He did not have Pikachu.

* * *

><p>Drew's wrists were bound tight enough to cut off his blood flow. His fingers prickled with needles, and he fought desperately to keep them awake. If his hands fell asleep, he was not sure he could break out of his bindings.<p>

His legs were unbound, however. He could kick, stomp, and run. Yes. Running was good. If May jumped on his back, he could probably carry her, oh, a quarter mile at full speed before he fatigued and had to stop. As for Gary and Leaf…

Drew could not leave them. He began seeking the best opportunities to kick.

"Where are we going?" Daisy demanded.

"You know this place, Gym Leader," Jessie said with a smirk. "We're going to see the Champion."

Before, Daisy's face had been flushed with anger. Now it went pale as all the blood left her cheeks.

"No! You evil woman, how could you do this to them?" Professor Oak exclaimed. "They're just children!"

"Look, I don't give the orders, all right?" snapped Jessie. She paused. "Except to you. Now I order you to shut up!"

Drew's first thought was Cynthia, and his mood brightened at the prospect of exacting his revenge. Then he recalled the ice cream parlor, and Steven, and the waitress. And he realized who the Champion was.

The six of them were hauled through the main hall of the great Indigo League building, dragged across the artful marble floor until they were pulled through a door at the end. They entered a room less impressive, and apparently under construction. The floor, formerly sleek black tile, was halfway torn up. Stacks of the replacement flooring were up against the walls that used to be purple but were now being painted over with a burnt orange.

In the middle of the room was a battlefield. It too was being rearranged, though the new props were still in their packages.

Only one man was at work, and he was painting the walls. He had a roller, and methodically went up and down the wall with the wet orange paint. Drew stared at him. The man did not even look over.

They were pulled through the other door, into another room in similar disrepair. These walls were poisonous green and deep, dark violet. Like the other room, there was a battlefield, but this one had many plants and shrubs. Many had already been uprooted. A sheet had been dragged over a chair placed at the far edge of the field.

Drew happened to catch sight of Daisy's face. She looked around at the reconstruction, the obvious changes, and appeared sickened. Her resolve grew weaker with every step.

Next door, next room. This one had a narrow walkway towards a battlefield, with the floor sunken down about three feet on either side. Across the bottom were several metal rings, like jets or gas burners. Someone was idly pushing a broom across around in the pit.

Another door. This one was black, with golden sparkles thrown into the walls. Drew saw what looked like fog machines, but they were currently off. Construction had not touched this room yet.

There was no door at the end of this room, but an elevator. It was a large platform, though everyone had to squeeze together to avoid falling off. James pulled the lever, and they went up.

Drew watched Daisy and the professor as they ascended. Their fear was obvious, but then… they knew what was coming. Experimentally, Drew flexed his hands. He had nearly forgotten about them, and in that time they had gone numb. They prickled as he moved them.

All too soon, they arrived at the top of the lift. Their guides pulled them off, and then they were walking. It was a long, dramatic hall, with odd lighting and quaint music that didn't fit the scene playing too quietly through the speakers on the ceiling.

But despite how far the walk was, Drew could see Giovanni. He was at the end of the hall, atop a throne and some steps, with those black devil's eyes watching them. Waiting for them.

* * *

><p>Paul had vomited after his ride on the dead Legendary. He was grateful Dawn had not been there to see it. He was also glad that he had done it on the first Rocket scum that had rushed up to him.<p>

But Paul was not brave. He was sixteen years old, and had only recently gathered the courage to step out of Sinnoh and pursue his Pokemon dreams. Other boys left their region around thirteen. Paul had been too scared.

When he finally regained his senses, he worried he had signed his death sentence by throwing up on his captors. Perhaps, if he hadn't, they would be more merciful! He continued to panic and shake (he was still feeling nauseous) as the Rockets dragged him through the many rooms.

He wondered where Ash was. He wondered if Dawn was safe. He wondered what Team Rocket would do if he threw up again. Out of every possibility that crossed his hazy mind, that seemed the most likely to happen.

Finally, after what seemed an eternity of shapes and colors swimming before his eyes, Paul was dropped on the ground. He collapsed entirely, sprawling out on the cool marble floor and relishing in the way it felt against his clammy forehead. He desperately wanted some water.

Someone else was dropped beside him. Paul recognized black hair, but that was all. "Release the girls," ordered a deep, loud voice. "No, not her." Then, "Stand them up."

Surprisingly gentle hands picked Paul up by his arms and stood him upright. They allowed him to lean against him, but they did not speak.

Paul was now able to see without feeling sick. Ash had been dropped beside him, in a similar state. A girl in a short skirt was holding him upright. Paul did not know her or the girl holding him. He glanced over, seeing other people standing about. Three men and Gym Leader Daisy, all with their wrists bound behind them.

Finally, Paul looked up.

There was a man sitting on a throne—yes, a _throne._ Paul recognized him as Giovanni. He was well-dressed, Paul supposed, with a Persian curled up on his lap. The cat Pokemon detracted from his villainous smirk as he stroked it. However, the creature seemed to be watching him, its tail the only part of it that moved.

"There are some still missing," Giovanni stated. "We will wait a bit longer."

* * *

><p>"Pika!" Pikachu stared up at the sky. It had fallen from Ash's shoulder when the Pokemon had taken off, and now, it was panicking.<p>

Alex glanced down. He frowned. "Oh. A rat," he remarked coolly.

The Pokemon turned to him and sparked its cheeks menacingly. However, it was weak, and it soon shorted out and had to resort to growling.

Now Alex smirked. How satisfying would it be to stomp on Ketchum's mouse, and crush it underfoot? He tapped his foot eagerly. Just a little closer, he thought.

Suddenly Pikachu spun around and scampered away. It bolted through the city streets and disappeared in the gathering crowd of fearful and curious onlookers.

Alex scowled in confusion. Why would it run? Where did it have to run to?

Realization hit the man like a Hyper Beam attack. He even staggered a little. Without a moment more of hesitation Alex produced a pokeball from the inside of his shirt and opened it up. "Follow the Pikachu," he ordered swiftly as he mounted the Pokemon.

The Arcanine yipped in compliance and crouched down. The people before it started to panic, fearing a fire attack. They shuffled out of the way uselessly, desperately trying to create a path before the great beast launched itself on them. Alex smirked again. With a slight bend of the knees Arcanine flew into the air, over the wall of people, and landed in a full sprint on the other side. Alex held tight to its mane. He was going to get that Pikachu, and skin it in front of Ash Ketchum. It seemed a fair price for the murder of his daughter.

* * *

><p>Dawn released her death grip on Deoxys. "Did you… did you see…" she panted as she curled up on the ground. She could not finish her sentence.<p>

"I saw," Deoxys stated flatly.

The girl shuddered involuntarily and rubbed her arms as if cold. "I… I…" No words would come to her.

Deoxys watched her shiver and pale, either unsure of what to do or not seeing a need to do anything.

Dawn shook her head slowly, as if trying to rid herself of the memory. But the more she tried, the more it solidified itself in her mind. "What do I do?" she breathed, rocking. "They… Paul… Ash… where are they?"

"They have certainly been captivated." Deoxys blinked. "Captured," he corrected.

"Captured?" Dawn repeated fearfully. She stood up and began fretting and pacing. "Oh no. No, no, no, no. This is bad. So bad. What do I do? I… I can't do anything! I'm useless. I can't help them. And Paul! I have to save Paul." She stopped. "Which Paul?" she wondered. She clutched her forehead and groaned in frustration. "I don't know!"

Dawn could feel tears coming on. She did not cry easily, and she hated to do it, but she was alone. Crying seemed the only thing she was capable of now.

Her face grew warm and her vision blurred at that thought. She was ashamed to only be good for crying, and that only made her want to weep endlessly. Her situation seemed so desperate. She had Deoxys and Piplup, no experience with Pokemon, no physical skills, and very little courage. God, how she wished she'd stuck with the kung fu lessons her mother had put her in when she was little!

She needed to calm down. Her friends would not stumble about, panicking. They would form a plan and save her! (Or, in Misty's case, assault the enemy Leroy Jenkins style.)

Suddenly Deoxys stiffened. "Small human, something is coming. Very fast."

"What?" Dawn exclaimed, terrified.

And then it was there.

Dawn blinked. "Pikachu!" she cried. She scooped the little mouse up in her arms and hugged it. As she held it, Pikachu squeaked and struggled against her grip. "Oh my gosh I'm so glad to see you! You'll help me save everyone, won't you? Ow!"

Pikachu leapt from her arms, having escaped using a mild electric attack. "Pika!" it shouted urgently.

Deoxys stared at it. Without warning he lashed out a tentacle and wrapped it around Dawn. "We must—."

There was no sound save the rustling of branches as the great orange hound appeared, a rider on its back.

"Pi!" Pikachu growled. It crouched defensively, despite its wounds, and sparked its cheeks with malice.

Deoxys and Dawn froze. Neither knew what to think of the man on the orange dog. They stared at him for awhile, until, slowly, the man dismounted.

The two of them flinched when his feet hit the ground, the only noise other than Pikachu's electricity. He walked around his Arcanine, approaching them as if he had some dark purpose for doing so. He reached behind his back, and Dawn heard a click.

Suddenly, he stopped. Dropped whatever he had been reaching for. Staggered.

Pikachu rose from its crouch, still spitting sparks but a little less wary. The man fell to his knees. "By Arceus," he murmured.

Dawn did not know what to say, so she said nothing.

Hurriedly, the man got up again. He fumblingly grabbed what he had dropped and pointed it at them. Now Dawn knew for sure it was a gun. Trembling, the man drew nearer. Dawn quickly raised her hands in surrender. "Who are you?" the man demanded.

"My name is Dawn!" she squeaked, as if she could not say the words fast enough. Then, recognition lit up her eyes. "Oh my God, Alex!" She dropped her hands.

"Put them back up!" Alex ordered.

Dawn's hands shot back up.

Alex stopped when he was twenty feet away. His hand had steadied, and his gaze had hardened. "What's your last name?" he inquired.

"Berlitz," Dawn answered. Alex's eyes widened and the gun in his hand faltered. Dawn saw an opportunity and took it. "Alex, it's me. You used to come over for dinner every Tuesday. You always brought me stuffed animals. The penguin… it was my favorite."

Alex blinked several times. Slowly he raised the gun again. "No," he said with a swallow. "My Dawn is dead."

Dawn's breath left her like a punch in the gut. "I'm what?"

"You are not my daughter," Alex continued bitterly.

Dawn was not listening. She sank to her knees, new horror consuming her. "I'm dead here," she breathed. "There's one when there should be two." She paused. "Wait, did you say I'm your daughter?"

"You are _not!_" screamed Alex.

Dawn stared at him. "You married Johanna?"

Alex was caught off guard. "What? What does that have to do with anything?"

"Then what happened to Logan?" Her voice rose with each word.

"Logan?" Alex questioned. "How do you know about him? Answer me!"

Dawn squeaked with terror as he threatened with the gun, the words gushing out of her. "Logan Berlitz is my father," she gasped. "Johanna is my mother. My father died when I was little. I live with my mom. You used to come over for dinner on Tuesdays. You played Old Maid with me and you always let me win."

"Impossible!" cried Alex.

"I'm—I'm from another universe!" Dawn pleaded. Shockingly, Alex began to lower the gun. Seeing a result she wanted, Dawn plowed on desperately. "My friends are in danger! I need to help them or else we will never get home, and we _have _to get home. For Paul."

Out of breath, Dawn stopped. Her heart was ramming against her ribcage in panic.

Alex's shoulders slumped. Dawn exhaled with relief. He believed her! He was going to let her go!

"Vileplume."

There was a white flash, and a giant flower appeared before Dawn.

"Vine Whip."

Dawn was suddenly grasped by wet, sticky green vines. They were cold against her skin and made her cringe. Looking about, she saw Pikachu had also been caught, but of Deoxys there was no sign. Did he run off? She hoped so. She hoped he was safe.

Alex lifted his head, and his eyes were cold. "I'm taking you to Giovanni."

***AN: Twenty cool points to anyone who gets my reference up there. **

**Yeesh. Long time no see, eh? I've been super busy. Scholarships, poetry contests, school, Dostoevsky, swim, you know. I don't even do all my homework. For Christmas, I got a Shining Tyranitar (woo!), Just Dance 4, and Dalek socks. What about you? **

**Would you be interested in reading an OC Pokemon story by yours truly? I've got characters and an idea...***


	22. Chapter 22

_Twenty-two_

Misty felt uncertain. She had performed hundreds of missions, many of which flashed through her mind now. But she had rarely been in charge. Misty did not know how to plan. Usually she just charged blindly with no regard to her own safety and shot stuff up. However, she was not alone on this one. She had to think about the safety of her fellows.

And they were all looking at her.

Misty grimaced. She had never had a partner until she had been forced to work with Ash. And Ash, although she detested it, was a great leader. Misty was not. That had been the difference between the two of them. Ash could form a master plan in a matter of minutes and follow through with minimal casualties. That was why Ash was on the fast track to Champion while Misty had barely made Gym Leader.

"So."

She glanced up at Steven's voice. The Hoenn Champion shifted his weight uncertainly. "Just to be clear… we're going to walk into the League."

Through gritted teeth she answered, "Yes."

"And then we're going to find Giovanni."

"Yes."

"And unleash the Enigma Stone on him, and everyone else that gets in our way."

"That is exactly it."

Steven blinked. "And… this is going to work how?"

"It just will, okay?" Misty snapped. "Look, Latias said she had a plan. So all we need to do is get her to the Legendaries and let her take it from there." She paused. "And maybe we should get some guns."

At this, Zoey and Steven actually laughed. "Guns have been illegal for the last fifty years at least," Zoey informed her.

Misty frowned. "But Team Rocket has guns," she argued.

"Team Rocket is an enormous crime organization that's now in charge of the government," Steven replied. "You think they can't get guns?"

Misty sneered. "Whatever." She sighed. "So, we attack some Rockets, take their guns, and go from there."

"So we're going to the League now?" Zoey inquired.

Frustrated, Misty threw up her hands. "Yes, okay, we're going now. Come on, let's get going." She started off down the path.

Cresselia appeared in front of her, blocking her way. "It will be faster," the Pokemon began, "if you let me carry you."

Latios scowled, but he bent his neck before Steven and Zoey, allowing them to climb up. "Be gentle," he growled, his accent adding to his distaste.

Misty nodded at Cresselia and hoisted herself up. "Right," she said. "Thanks."

The Pokemon gave a small nod, and they rocketed into the sky.

* * *

><p>Alex cut Vileplume's vines and tied up Dawn and Pikachu, then bound them to Arcanine. He returned his Grass Type, then climbed up on Arcanine behind his captives. "Let's go," he said.<p>

The Pokemon did not need further encouragement. It leapt lightly and bounded threw the woods, somehow knowing its way around.

"Wh-where are you taking us?" Dawn stuttered. The ride was bumpy, and she was lying down, making it difficult to speak.

"Giovanni," Alex answered. He glared down at her. "Now shut up."

Giovanni. Dawn knew who that was. He had terrified her. Cynthia had shot him. She remembered seeing the hole appear in his head. She almost whimpered.

Almost.

She thought of Paul, at this point. The first Paul, from their world. It was strange she was specific, since for awhile now she could not distinguish the two in her mind. But no, Dawn was definitely thinking of the first Paul, and how he detested weakness. How he thought her so troublesome.

He was probably dead.

Which meant if Giovanni killed her… she would see him?

Suddenly Dawn was a lot less afraid of what was coming. Nothing Giovanni could do could make her frightened, or weak. She was ready.

As the world flashed by, Dawn glimpsed something in the trees. She thought it was a white deer, but it passed too quickly for her to see.

* * *

><p>Ash could not stand the silence. Giovanni just sat there, stroking the cat, not really looking at anyone. It was unnerving. And it was not the Giovanni Ash was used to. This man seemed more… precise. Sharp. Deadly.<p>

"Are you going to say something?"

Ash jumped. Drew fixed Giovanni with a vicious glare. Giovanni's dark eyes flickered to him, glowing like the cat before him. "I enjoy the silence," was the man's reply.

Drew's upper lip quivered as he sought for words. "All the more reason to break it then," he snapped finally.

Giovanni was bored. "Yes, I suppose."

Ash swallowed. He felt naked without a gun or Pikachu. "How did you find us?" he questioned. Not quite the demanding tone he had been aiming for, but he would get there.

Quietly, Giovanni returned to scratching the head of his Persian. "You left a blazing trail," he murmured without looking up, "challenging every Gym Leader in the region."

Ash smirked, his old confidence returning. "Got you scared, did we?"

For a long time the Champion said nothing. Then he sighed heavily, closing his eyes in exasperation. "You and your friends have been a thorn in my side since I was a young man," he explained. "In fact, I thought I'd rid myself of the problem, but it would seem I didn't."

Ash felt his blood run cold. A glance at Gary revealed the researcher pale and scared as well. They knew what he meant.

Drew did not.

"Hah," he said hollowly. "We took you out once and we can do it again."

Giovanni smiled a wicked, curling smile. "Yes," he hissed, "I remember."

At their looks of confusion, Giovanni's smirk only curled up further. He gingerly removed his pet from his lap and placed it on the marble floor. Then he rose to an intimidating height, standing on his polished shoes and grinning down at his captives.

"I was twenty-three," the man crooned. He walked down the steps slowly, hesitating at each drop. Ash swallowed and tried to be unimpressed, sarcastic, anything, but he was scared. "Twenty-three and madly in love with a young woman. Beautiful, she was. We had a child, a few years old by then. And that was when I had the first dream."

Giovanni sighed with pleasure, his eyes sparkling with nostalgia. It made Ash nauseous.

"I saw this boy," he continued. "Perhaps… sixteen. Very young. And in this dream, he was going to kill me. And I knew he would. We fought, no Pokemon. Physical battles. I was surprised, since no one _actually_ fights anymore. But I did, in this dream.

"I don't know why we were fighting, just that we were enemies. And it made my heart sing to think of him dead."

What… what was Giovanni doing? Ash's brow furrowed in confusion. The others seemed just as lost as he was.

"The second dream came a few years later. My son was six. This dream boy, I remember, had something I didn't recognize. Of course, when I woke up, I realized it was a Pikachu. He loosed it on me, trying to torture information out of me. But someone interrupted us and he fled. I woke feeling weak and sore, as if it had been real."

Ash's throat went very dry. Memories were surfacing through the haze of his mind, and he knew just what Giovanni was talking about.

"The dreams came more often after that, and not all involved the boy, though my mind was always fixated on him. On ending him.

"And then one day," Giovanni said, his lips curling into a brand new grin, "I realized who the boy was." His eyes glimmered. "My son."

* * *

><p>Gary shifted his eye to look at Ash. His friend was pale, even terrified. Gary swallowed. They both knew exactly what Giovanni was saying, knew what he was going to say. This was where the files Gary had hacked would finally be revealed to everyone. And the thought made him cringe.<p>

"But," Giovanni said softly, "then the dreams stopped. For three years. I almost forgot about them.

"Then one night, I had an incredibly vivid dream. I saw three men. You," he said, pointing at Ash, "you," he pointed to Drew, "and you." His finger stopped at Paul. "You were stealing something from me. But you, Ash, did not know who I was." He smiled a little. "It was very… amusing.

"After that, the dreams came almost nightly. Ash Ketchum consumed my every thought. I began to loathe my son. The two persons bled together. Delia became… very distant.

"Then one night, my dream self was murdered."

The room fell into silence. Everyone knew what Giovanni meant. They had all been there.

Giovanni chuckled. "And who should have killed me but the recently crowned Sinnoh Champion," he mused. Then he shrugged. "I took it as a premonition, and decided to preemptively have every person from my dream eliminated before they could destroy me."

Ash and Gary exchanged frightened looks. This Giovanni was worse than the other one, Gary thought. He was sicker. Much sicker.

"The small crime syndicate I had inherited from my father had grown under my lead," the villain explained. "I had every character from my dreams sought out, and eliminated. Starting with Ash."

Horrified, Gary glanced at the others. His sister and grandfather had matching expressions of disbelief. Leaf appeared angry. And May, poor May, just looked tired. As if she had seen all of the ugly and had no more strength to react to it.

"Then the Oak boy. Devilish young boy," Giovanni said. His eyes glinted like broken glass. "Always hated him. And once the two of them were gone, I set about my plan to become Champion of the Indigo League. I had no more dreams, because I was finally taking action. I took out the others along the way. Most recently that little Water Gym Leader. And now," he sighed and held out his hands, palms up, like some religious figure, "here I am."

* * *

><p>Cresselia and Latios touched down at the mouth of Victory Road, gazing at the League. "Whoa," Zoey murmured, her eyes huge. "That's… incredible."<p>

Steven sniffed and said, "Hoenn's is better."

Misty grimaced. She was looking past the grandiose architecture in paling quickly at the number of Rocket guards patrolling the courtyards. A quiet curse escaped her mouth and she turned around. "Okay," she began, "forty guards, armed with guns and we'll assume three Pokemon each." She reached in her pocket. "I have one Pokemon," she declared.

"I have my full team," Steven told her.

"So do I," offered Zoey.

"And you have us," Cresselia reminded them.

Misty nodded, tallying their odds in her head. She did not like what she calculated. Biting her lip, she shoved her hand in her pocket and clutched the Enigma Stone. It was warm against her palm. Suddenly, Misty knew what to do. "We can get past them," she decided.

Latios stared. "How?" he cried. "We can't bloody well carry you, now can we?"

"We need a distraction," Misty clarified. "Something like…" She paused as she gazed around. Suddenly, her eyes fell upon the answer to all their problems. "That."

Zoey looked at her like she had grown a second head. "You're out of your mind."

Misty bit back a grin. "I'm not," she said happily. "But _it's_ going to be."

The creature seemed to realize they were talking about it, and confusedly turned its head. "_Psy?_" it questioned.

* * *

><p>Carter was a young Team Rocket grunt, new to guard duty and anxious to prove himself. He prided himself on being very alert and efficient. The other Rocket grunts mocked the rookie behind his back, and Carter knew, but he did not let it bother him. Soon he would outrank them, and he would become one of Giovanni's new Elite Four.<p>

At least, that was the plan.

Carter was squinting into the woods when a shadow passed over him. The young man jumped and readied his pokeball, looking up in time to see an airplane-like thing soar over his head and drop something.

The creature landed with a bounce, quite like rubber. "_Psy—yai—ee—yai,_" it grunted as it bounced. Finally it stopped, and held its head painfully.

Young Carter saw his opportunity and immediately went on the offensive. "Go, Graveler, get this Psyduck!" he cried, tossing his pokeball. He looked around, hoping his superiors were watching.

"What are you doing?" shouted one of his coworkers. The other man rushed over to join him.

"Back off, I got this!" Carter snapped.

"Carter, what's going on?"

Soon poor Carter was surrounded by his fellows, and the Psyduck would no longer be his victory alone. "No fair!" he whined.

"Shut up," someone ordered. "We're bored too."

Suddenly Pokemon completely surrounded the Psyduck. The Pokemon began to sweat, not letting go of its head.

Well Carter would be damned if something this insignificant and pathetic ruined _his_ day. With an enthusiastic shout, the young Rocket grunt and his coworkers laid siege to the Psyduck.

It went very well at first. The little duck creature was the perfect punching bag, and it could take a good beating. It gave off satisfying wails of distress and egged on dear Carter and his buddies.

It was all very fun until its eyes began to glow.

"What's happening?" demanded someone.

Another person swore. "It's using Confusion!"

"It's doing _what?_"

A bright blue light took over Carter's vision. Frantically, he tried to run, but found his legs unable to move. His last thought before becoming one with the light was, _I'll never be promoted._

Then everything went white and Carter gave up.

Misty, Steven, and Zoey crept out of the bushes. "Well that worked better than I expected," stated Steven.

Misty scooped up the dazed Pokemon affectionately. "Come on, you little pain in the ass. Let's go save Ash."

***AN: omg I updated. I'm SO sorry it took this long, it probably won't happen again. I just... I found Supernatural and Tumblr and then school and swim and ack I'm sorry. College. I'm not even there yet and I'm done with it. **

**Just so you all know, _I WON A GOLD MEDAL FOR THE NATIONAL SCHOLASTIC ART AND WRITING AWARDS. THAT INCLUDES A $10,000 SCHOLARSHIP._**

**An award. For. My. Writing. I still can't get over it. GOLD. Ack. I'm done with life now. I can die happy. **

**Thank you all for sticking with me and if you find typos please please tell me. Thank you, faithful readers!***


	23. Chapter 23

_Twenty-three_

Alex arrived at the League later than he had expected. The extra weight on Arcanine's back must have had more of an effect than he had accounted for. The great creature slowed down, picking its way carefully as it trekked through the field in front of the League.

"What's the matter?" Alex queried, leaning over.

He blinked. The sight surprised him. A dozen or so members of Team Rocket were sprawled in the grass. They made no sound nor did they stir, but they were not dead. He could see the quiet rise and fall of chests, as if they could be asleep.

"What happened?" wondered the girl who was not his daughter.

Alex narrowed his eyes. "This is the work of a Pokemon," he stated. "A very powerful one."

"Pika," Pikachu said uncertainly. "Pi pika."

Dawn pursed her lips, wondering what she should do. Suddenly her arms were loose, and she sagged over the great dog. "You… cut me free?" she asked, looking at her rope-burnt wrists.

"I won't leave a little girl defenseless in a scene such as this," he remarked angrily. "Now sit up. We're going in." Dawn obeyed and felt something stick in the center of her back. She began to sweat when she realized it was a gun. "You make any stupid moves, and I'll shoot you, do you understand?"

Dawn was surprised, because the way Alex spoke reminded her of Paul. And she felt more at ease. "Okay," she agreed. She wove her fingers into Arcanine's mane and breathed.

The great Pokemon wove through the bodies, seemingly unfazed by it. It stepped lightly up the marble steps and trotted inside.

"Tally ho!"

Something came flying towards Dawn's face, and she ducked in time. Alex did not, and it walloped him in the sternum and knocked him off Arcanine. The Pokemon lurched in panic and nearly threw Dawn. Pikachu jumped up gleefully. "Pikapi!"

"Pikachu?"

Misty was standing on a marble block that she shared with a statue, clutching a golden metal rod that had the usual purpose of holding up velvet ropes and fancily blocking doorways. She frowned. "Dawn?" she added, dropping down.

Arcanine growled at her. Dawn slid off the Pokemon, and it looked at her in confusion. "Misty, oh my god, it's you!" she exclaimed, and she ran to her friend, arms out.

Misty embraced her confusedly. "You… were with Ash. Where is Ash?" she cried, panic suddenly filling her voice and she let go of her friend. Then she saw Alex. "Is that—?" she shrieked, but Dawn cut her off.

"Yes," she told her.

Misty looked down at the man coldly. Alex grunted and lifted his head off the marble floor. "You," she began, crouching down, "deserve to _die—_."

"We need to keep going," a strange voice interrupted. Dawn turned and jumped, seeing a large birdlike creature hovering behind her. On its back was Steven. A second floating creature appeared, pink and yellow, carrying a weary-looking Zoey. "Latias is nearly ready." The bird looked at Misty. "Are you?"

Misty glared a moment longer at Alex. The man held her gaze, fists clenched. Abruptly the Gym Leader stood up, and turned to face the bird. "Yes, Latios, I'm ready." She folded her arms. "But _not_ until I see Ash."

Latios gaped. "I thought we discussed my sister's plan—."

"We did," Misty said shortly. "But I'm not stupid. I know what can go wrong. And I say we're not doing _anything_ until I see Ash again." She tilted her head. "Besides, what matters is whether or not Zoey is ready."

All eyes turned to the red-haired girl atop Cresselia. Zoey blinked with exhaustion. Her skin was pale. She twitched a little, as if she were hearing something the others could not. "Of course I'm ready," she snapped toughly, although she was leaning on Cresselia's neck for support.

"Then let's keep moving!" Latios exclaimed.

"Wait," said Misty, and the great bird rolled its entire head in exasperation. Misty jerked her head towards Alex. "What do we do with him?"

There was silence as everyone glared at Alex and vice versa.

"Let him go," Dawn murmured.

Misty actually started at her suggestion. "Wait, what? Let him _go?_ Why?"

"He doesn't know what's going on," Dawn explained. She shrugged. "I mean, neither do we, but what are we going to do with him? Kill him?"

"Well I _could,_" Misty said carefully. Dawn's eyes widened, and Misty hastened to correct her mistake. "I mean, um, well, never mind," she finished lamely. She sighed. "Fine, we'll leave the guy here." She looked at him. "Give me your gun," she demanded.

Alex gave a small laugh. "And why would I do that?"

"Because he'll fry you if you don't," Misty replied calmly. Latios seemed a little aggravated at her suggestion, but he turned his eyes onto Alex nonetheless. The red orbs took on an unnatural glow, and the air around them began to warp.

Hurriedly Alex tore the handgun from his leg and threw it at Misty. The weapon skittered be her feet. She bent down and picked it up. "Pleasure doing business with you," she said, and she sauntered away. The others followed her, and there was silence as they exited the entrance hall.

The moment they disappeared through the doorway at the end of the hall, Alex scrambled to his feet. He bent down and produced a knife from under the leg of his pants and scampered off, knowing exactly where he was going.

* * *

><p>A white-clad Rocket grunt burst into the Champion Hall. "Giovanni, sir," he greeted urgently, "we are under attack."<p>

Giovanni smiled a little. "Is that the rest of your little posse, Ash?" he murmured.

Ash did not answer, only scowled.

"What are your orders?" the grunt inquired, standing at attention.

The leader of Team Rocket considered this for a long moment, stroking his Persian with a sadistic furrow to his brow. "Have Jessie and James unlock the Legendaries," he said. "Send everyone else here."

The grunt nodded and sprinted off, eager to deliver his orders.

"Jessie and James?" Ash mouthed to Gary. The researcher simply rolled his eyes.

"And now," Giovanni said as his underlings began pouring into the hall, "we wait."

* * *

><p>"So like, what's going on?" Dawn inquired as they trekked through the marble halls. She chanced a glance behind her, afraid that Alex may have followed them. "You said you could kill Alex." She looked at Misty. "That's not normal. Explain that."<p>

Misty grimaced but she did not slow down. "Well," she began, looking around alertly, "I kinda worked for the Company back home."

Dawn grabbed her arm and forced her to halt. "You _what?_" she cried.

"Yeah, I'm not as good as I thought I was," Misty grumbled, throwing off her arm. "Look, we don't have time for this right now. Just... I was pretty important back there. And I know what I'm doing." She gave a half-shrug that she did not intend anyone to see.

Dawn stared at her. "You are _seventeen,_" she nearly screeched.

"I'm not," Misty said. "I'm twenty. Actually..." She thought about it. "Almost twenty-one, I suppose. But the Company liked us young." She tapped her forehead. "Easier to manipulate. My sisters were Company operatives, keeping me from triggering my memories." She shrugged again. "Pretty clever, actually."

The blue-haired girl continued to gawk. She blinked several times and straightened up, and at her full height she was a little taller than Misty. "I don't think you realize what you're saying to me," she said. "We. Grew. Up. Together. I spent my whole summer in that gym with you. And—."

"And then we moved," Misty told her flatly. "I moved away. I was always older than you, too. Remember? We played together because there was no one else. And when I came back it was just in time for high school. The Company is very meticulous. They knew what they were doing."

Dawn could only stare. Her mouth would not close. Desperately she sought for words to say, but none came to her mind. It was like her entire past had been shattered with a sledgehammer.

How did she get so wrapped up with these people? This was more than a coincidence. It had to be. "Am I a freaking Company agent too?" she demanded suddenly.

Misty, who had started walking away, looked back at her, surprised. She frowned. "Don't think so!" she said cheerily. She paused. "Although now that I think about it, Leaf would have made a damn good one." She shrugged, rolling off this thought like it was nothing more than a cold breeze. "Are you coming? We've got people to find!"

For a moment, Dawn remained there, rooted to the spot. Then her feet found it in them to move, and she followed absently.

Behind her followed something none of them saw.

* * *

><p>"I don't like the Legendaries," James protested. "They're creepy."<p>

"The boss wants us to take care of it," Jessie snapped as she walked briskly through the hall. "Maybe this is the promotion we've been dreaming of!"

"I don't tink so, Jessie," said Meowth. "I don't know 'bout you guys, but I been around da Legendaries. Dey don't feel right."

"Quit your whining, both of you!" Jessie glared but did not slow. "We'll get in and get out. It'll be quick." She took a sharp left, down a small walkway that ended in a single door. It was heavy, but she pushed it open fine. Sunlight poured in from outside, and Jessie led her comrades down a short set of cement steps.

The cage was an true feat of engineering. It shimmered violet in the sunbeams, but was otherwise transparent. James did not quite understand how it worked, but it had something to do with the machine they walked past by the steps.

The Legendaries crouched in the grass. Some of them tore at it pathetically. Most of them did little more than blink. They were not lined up, or even aware of each other. They just sat there, scattered about the cage. Only the ones nearest them even acknowledged the presence of Jessie and James. The rest did not even glance at them. There was an eerie quiet about the place, as if none of the beasts were even breathing.

Well, James supposed, they _weren't._

Jessie turned around and went to the machine beside the steps. The purple bubble emanated from it, pulsing every so often. Hardly shaking, Jessie pulled up her glove and took the key she had been holding in the palm of her hand, concealed under the fabric so she would not lose it. She stoically inserted it into the machine, and cranked it twice.

It was like a television being unplugged. The purple shield snapped in on itself and vanished, blinking out of existence so suddenly it was like it had never been there. James held his breath and tensed to run.

The Legendaries lifted their heads sadly, looking up to the sky with unblinking eyes with little more than disappointment in their faces.

Jessie exhaled with relief and spun around. "Legendaries!" she shouted, and they turned their dull looks on her. "Giovanni orders you to attack his adversaries!"

"How do dey know dat's not us?" Meowth questioned, quivering.

One of the mottled beasts raised its head, then slowly rose to its feet. It seemed to look around before letting out a high, desolated cry. Then it charged.

James grabbed Jessie and threw themselves out of harm's way. He felt the ground rumble as the monsters thundered past, screaming all the way.

The noise lessened, only a little, but the rumbling had stopped. James lifted his head. An enormous hole now occupied where the stairs had been. The Legendaries had stampeded straight through the building.

He helped Jessie up and found Meowth. "Jessie, we should leave," he said insistently.

Jessie looked at him, her expression fearful. "We can't," she told him firmly. "The consequences… may be worse if we do."

James pursed his lips. "Then let's at least stay hidden," he pleaded, and eventually, she nodded.

* * *

><p>Latios's neck became rigid and his pupils dilated. Steven stared. "What's the matter?"<p>

"Legendaries," the bird Pokemon said. "They're… awake."

"I know," Zoey said, leaning weakly against Cresselia. "I can feel them." Simultaneously, Latios, Cresselia, and Zoey winced painfully. A high pitched howl met the ears of the rest of them.

"What is that?" Dawn whimpered.

"Something very bad," Misty informed her quickly. She looked at Latios. "What now?"

Latios grimaced. "We don't have time! If we wait any longer they'll kill us!"

Misty's expression went from determined to fearful and desperate. "No," she snapped, panic leaking into her voice. She glanced around wildly. "There, up those stairs, go!" She grabbed Dawn's hand and dragged her to the small door, ramming it open.

Latios and Cresselia barely fit. The two Pokemon had to angle themselves in order to fly up the stairs. Misty and Dawn bolted up in front of them, taking the stairs three at a time.

"You will be trapped up here!" Latios shouted as he soared ahead of them.

"I'm not leaving without Ash!" Misty cried.

* * *

><p>"Giovanni."<p>

All heads snapped around. From the door at the back of the room entered a man flanked by a massive Arcanine. Ash narrowed his eyes. He knew who it was.

"Alex," Giovanni greeted enthusiastically. He held out his arms in a friendly gesture.

"I need to talk to you," Alex stated before Giovanni could say anything else. "_Now._"

Giovanni shrugged. "By all means, Alex. We're nearly finished here."

Alex came right up to him, stopping at the stairs leading up to the throne. His eyes were dark as he spoke. "I just met my _daughter,_" he whispered.

"Did you?" Giovanni said, raising an eyebrow. He nodded slowly. "Yes, she would be here, wouldn't she?"

"My daughter is _dead,_" hissed Alex. He pointed furiously at Ash. "_He_ killed her. So why the _hell_ is my daughter alive and… and saying she _isn't_ my daughter?"

"Because she isn't!" Ash cried. "And I didn't kill her!" He scowled at Giovanni, waiting for him to shut him up. But the Indigo Champion watched him with a calm curiosity, and did nothing to stop him. "I am not from this world," he told Alex. "None of us are! We aren't the enemy, we just want to get home!"

Alex scowled at him. His mouth opened to retort, but he was cut off by an unearthly screeching.

Giovanni grinned. "Ah," he said happily. "The Legendaries."

Drew's eyes widened with fear. As his heart began to pound, his fingers nimbly fiddled with the zip tie on his wrists. He might have to fight, he thought, and for that he would need his hands. He glanced around as he worked. There was a door off to the side, probably where the Champion entered. He didn't know if it went anywhere. It might be just an office.

Well, an office would have a window and Drew was willing to jump if he needed to.

Abruptly, the door Drew had been focusing on exploded open. Two large birdlike Pokemon hurdled into the room. A girl was clutching the back of one of them. And following them came none other than—

"Misty!" Ash exclaimed, and Drew had never heard such a tone come from him in his life. He sounded relieved, excited, and… _loving,_ of all things.

"Ash!" she replied in a similar fashion.

Drew frowned. He hoped he and May didn't sound like that.

"Oh dear," Giovanni said, smirking a little. He peered down at Misty. "It seems you've led the Legendaries here, haven't you?"

"_You!_" shrieked the blue bird.

Giovanni smiled. "Latios, how lovely to meet you."

"You destroyed this world!" Latios cried. Outside, the screams of the Legendaries grew louder as they surrounded the building. "I have seen what it_ should_ have been like. You _murdered_ the heroes of this world when they were just children. There were things that should have happened, people who should have _lived,_ Pokemon who should have lived! And you _decimated_ it."

"Didn't I?" Giovanni stated. He stood up, finally, and the Persian jumped lightly off his lap. "I made this world my kingdom. I saw my other life and I failed there. This world was mine for the taking, and I _seized_ it!" He gestured to the room. "Look around!" he yelled over the Legendaries. "Can't you hear that? _I_ did that. _Me!_ And I wouldn't change a single bit of it."

Alex gaped at him, blinking. "You… you what?"

Giovanni dropped his hands in exasperation. "So sorry you had to find out this way, Alex," he said sarcastically. "Your blind love for your daughter was just so easy to manipulate. Especially when I found out these stupid _brats_ had made their way here!" He waved his arm at Ash and his company. "And now, look at this! I have an entire army of Legendary Pokemon under my command. I have all my enemies gathered in one place. It will take less than a snap of my fingers to get rid of all my problems!"

"Then do it," snapped Misty.

"What," said Gary.

"What?" Giovanni questioned in disbelief.

"Go on, what's keeping you?" Misty went on.

"Y-yeah!" added Dawn, catching on. "Why don't you do it already?"

"Afraid it won't work?" jeered Leaf, even though she didn't know what was going on. In fact, May turned to gape at her, silently asking if she wanted to get them killed.

But then Drew felt something start nibbling at the tie on his wrists. He almost jumped—only years of training kept him still. Misty caught his eye, and that was enough of a signal.

Giovanni raised an eyebrow at the girls. "You are very loud, Miss Waterflower," he stated. "You were when I killed you the first time, and it seems you will be this time around too." He sighed. "This is for you, Miss Waterflower." And he snapped his fingers.

***AN: so that chapter took forever and a day. I really want to wrap this up soon, but damn is it hard. I've been so busy. I graduated high school. I went to New York and I talked with the chair of Scholastic (yes that Scholastic) and he told me if I finished my novel he would read it and get it published. PUBLISHED. So that's all I've been doing. Revising. Because I might actually get published. For reals. Please, if you see ANYTHING wrong with this chapter, anything I need to fix or add, tell me. I wish this could be better for all of you but I can't work on it anymore. So voila! Please tell me if it sucks because I need to know.**

**Oh and someone reminded me. I have a tumblr! If you want my url, please ask, and I'm happy to invite you to follow me and to look at all of your blogs!***


	24. Chapter 24

_Twenty-four_

It was like the entire room exploded inwards. Everyone lurched. Drew's hands broke free and he threw himself over May, shielding her from the hailstorm of broken glass.

Ash's hands had not been tied, and he reached into his pockets and threw his two pokeballs forward. They erupted in a blast of light and the two beasts landed in their fighting stances, eyes flicking around to assess the situation.

They were not nearly as big as the Legendaries.

The walls and ceiling were crumbling. The rubble hit the floor and made it crack and shake. From all around came the Legendaries, screaming their death songs and slashing blindly at air. They floated pathetically towards them or galumphed across the crumbling floor.

"Go!" Ash ordered. "Pikachu, you too!"

The three Pokemon nodded and scampered off to fight. Paul threw his pokeballs forward and ordered them to join the fray. Then he and Ash seemed to have the same idea, and both rushed over to Dawn and Misty.

"Ash, get back!" Misty snapped before he could come any closer. "Steven, get Zoey. Latios, you know what to do."

Steven pulled Zoey off the back of Cresselia and ran with her in his arms. Misty pulled a glowing red stone out of her pocket and handed it to Latios. He rushed to the center of the room and urged Steven to hurry.

The Legendaries were screaming. Attacks dripped from their mouths, burning through the floor and haphazardly firing at them. Ash dodged a haywire water attack. Most of the Pokemon were blind. Wings dragged across the floor. The bird types could not find the strength to fly.

"Misty, what are they doing!?" he demanded, grabbing her arm.

"They're going to fix all this!"

Ash looked over. Zoey was sitting weakly on the ground. She held the red gem in her hands. Its glow brightened. Her skin withered.

A memory rocked through Ash like a tsunami. He sucked in breath and locked on Misty's sea-blue eyes. "That's the Enigma Stone," he said softly.

Amongst all the screaming and crying, Misty heard him. And she nodded.

For a moment, he loosened his grip on her. Suddenly he pulled her towards him and held her tight against his chest. "It could kill us," he whispered.

Misty pursed her lips. "Oh well." Her voice cracked.

There was the sound of more Pokemon being released from their pokeballs. They stood protectively before their masters, though they quaked at the fiends before them.

"_Go, my pets!_" Giovanni screamed from his pedestal. "_Take them! Destroy them! Make this world mine!_"

The Legendaries did not notice the ground crumbling beneath them. They hardly realized when they dropped right through it. They just kept crawling forward, undead creatures turned into Giovanni's puppets, and they were screaming—oh, they were screaming. They were in agony. They wanted it to end. And yet they kept coming.

Ash and Misty looked over to Zoey, in the center of their pathetic group. Cresselia and Latios hovered protectively over her. Pikachu and the others gathered around her on the ground, as if they recognized her importance.

Zoey held the Enigma Stone tightly in her hands. Her expression was one of pain. Slowly she drew her legs underneath her and got to her feet. She looked around at all of them, at Ash and Misty and her own brave Pokemon and the Legendaries.

Then she lifted the stone to her lips and kissed it.

It was like the sun was rising in the middle of the room. The glow was dim, and suddenly the entire room was alight. Ash had to shield his eyes. It was too bright. It was _burning._ There was screaming. Or maybe there wasn't. Ash felt distorted and weird. He _saw_ things in that light. But when did his eyes open? He was seeing Misty, holding a Starmie while she sat on the grass and held his hand. Seeing her standing over him in the white white room and then waking up to glimpse her outside the door. He saw his father. He watched him fall.

Something came out of the light. It was a bird. It had yellow eyes and a smile and red arms hanging from its sides. It looked at Ash and smiled.

Then it reached its hand out to Zoey and took her away.

Suddenly the light was gone, and it was dark. Too dark. Ash could not see anything. He could hear, though. People and Pokemon were yelling. He blinked rapidly, and his vision began to clear.

"What happened?_ What happened!?_" May was screaming. "I can't _see!_"

"Where are we?" cried Gary.

"_What did you do?_"

That one shout silenced all the rest. Ash's eyes had finally adjusted, and he looked around to see Giovanni slowly descending from his throne. The man looked as if his heart had been ripped out. "_What did you do to them?_"

Misty straightened up. "We saved them," she told him.

"My sister," Latios called. He looked singed. His white feathers were blackened. "She saved them."

Ash gazed around. The room was still crumbling. Little bits dropped from the ceiling and onto the floor, which was dotted with tremendous holes. But there were no dead Legendaries to be seen. Only them, their Pokemon, and Giovanni.

"We fixed what you did," declared Gary.

The realization hit Ash. "We saved this world," he stated.

Giovanni blinked rapidly. "No," he hissed. "I will _not_ let this world be taken from me!" he cried. He turned around. "Rockets! Shoot them all!"

The remaining Rocket grunts lifted their guns and waited for the command.

"I can start over! I can _rebuild!_ There are more Legendaries!" Giovanni looked around in confusion. "What are you waiting for? Shoot them!"

There was not even a split second of hesitation. Giovanni spoke, and six guns went off at once.

They all flinched, arms thrown up defensively, but the bullets never came. Warily Ash opened one eye. There was a small, metal ball floating not four inches from his head.

Someone gasped, and then everyone was looking at it.

Ash had no idea what it was. It looked like a cloud. It had legs that ended in skinny hooves and a wispy mane that floated behind it. Around its middle was a strange spiked thing. Ash could not decide if it was made of bone or light.

The bullets fell to the floor with light clatters.

The creature looked right at Giovanni. Then it charged.

Ash jumped. The thing rushed forward, and yet it did not move. It was only there. It was everywhere. It made no sound. It simply appeared, appeared all around, and then it was gone.

Giovanni vanished as well. In his place was a faint, tiny hoof mark.

***AN: so it's the shortest chapter of the century but the story is almost done! I want to do a Merlin story next. I'm working really hard on the next chapter so thank you guys for sticking with it! I swear this will be done before I go off to college.***


	25. Chapter 25

***Important Edit* you guys want an epilogue? Okay... I will see what I can do.***

_Twenty-five_

The remaining Rocket grunts did not know what to do. They stared at the spot where their leader had been with as much shock and awe as Ash and his company. They made eye contact with Ash, and looked fearful.

Ash could think of nothing to say to them.

"What _was _that?" Gary breathed, the only one to break the silence.

"Arceus," Oak whispered. "It had to be."

"Sup."

Everyone snapped their heads up, looking for the new voice. Above them floated a small, pink and gray creature, with its arms folded and large eyes smiling. "Remember me?"

"Mesprit," Ash recognized. "Where've you been?"

"Around," the Pokemon said lightly. It frowned a little. "I'm kinda alone now, I suppose. With Azelf and Uxie gone. But hey. We're all safe now, at least." The creature sighed and smiled again. "Anyway! We had a deal, didn't we? Kill Giovanni, get back home, right?"

"We can't go back," Drew said. "Cynthia will kill us."

A new voice entered the mix. "They can stay, yes?"

"Deoxys!" Dawn exclaimed. "What happened? Where did you go?"

"I admit I had fear," Deoxys said brokenly. "And I did run."

"Facing your dead friends is scary," a small white deer said from its spot on the ground. Dawn vaguely recognized it. "And as much as we wanted to help, we simply couldn't do it."

"We were afraid."

Suddenly there were a thousand voices, all around them. Creatures of all shapes and sizes encircled them, eyes glittering and watching them intently. "We were afraid, and you saved us."

"So, just like we promised," Mesprit said gently, "a portal back to your world, to save your friend. Palkia?"

A new creature lumbered forward. It lifted its white head and the red lines along its body glowed. It waved an arm. To its left, a swirling pink vortex appeared in the air.

They stared at it. It seemed to stare at them.

"What's the plan?" Gary asked.

Ash blinked and realized he was speaking to him. He looked around at his friends. They all looked at him. Ash swallowed. "Well," he began carefully, "Drew, Misty, and I can fight. We'll go get Paul. Everyone else stay here."

"But it's been weeks!" Drew exclaimed. "I mean... it's not like Cynthia... kept him _around_ that long..." His expression withered as he spoke.

"Time is different here," Misty told him. "At home it's probably been only, like, six hours. _Maybe._"

No one questioned how she knew that.

"He's fine," Ash affirmed. "So let's go get him."

"What about us?" May interrupted.

Ash and Drew paused in their steps towards the portal. "What?" Ash asked.

May pursed her lips and swallowed. "I mean, our families! They'll think we're dead!" She seemed to crumple inside. "My mom... I don't think she can lose me _and_ my dad."

Suddenly Ash's thoughts were pulled to his own mother. He hadn't thought of her in weeks. How would she fare without him? What if the Company came after her?

What if they already had?

He stiffened at the thought. How could he handle this? Could he really uproot their families and bring them here? His mother would understand. May's would probably panic. Not to mention the fact that there was probably a Delia and a Mrs. Maple already running around this world. Two Pauls that knew of each other was doable. This was not.

And forget about culture shock. This was an entirely new world! He doubted May's family could handle it.

It would be best for everyone if they could stay separated.

But leaving those people there... Cynthia would definitely come for them.

Ash sighed in frustration. He couldn't deal with this much thinking right now. He looked at Mesprit. "How long will the portal be open?" he asked.

"As long as you need," the Pokemon told him. "Time is different here. An hour for you is a week for us. We will leave it here, for you. Palkia will stay to close it when you return."

Drew looked at Ash. They were thinking the same thing. Ash glanced back at them all. "You'll be waiting for a long time," he told them, and there was a hint of fear in his voice.

Dawn nodded. "We know."

"Check back every so often, then," he instructed. Without waiting for confirmation, he turned around and jumped.

* * *

><p>Ash blinked. He was staring at the ceiling inside room L17, of which there wasn't much left. Misty's Gyarados had left the room in ruins. There were still bodies strewn about the room. None of them were Paul.<p>

So he was still alive.

Quietly, he picked himself up. Drew was already on his feet and Misty was not far behind. The machine was behind them, its center gone dark with the black of the portal.

"Do you think Paul is on this floor?" Drew murmured.

Ash shook his head. "No. Maybe her office," he said softly. "Or the interrogation rooms."

"Should we split up?" inquired Misty.

"No," Ash said immediately. "No, we need to stay together." Abruptly he realized he had no Pokemon. He had left them all behind. "Anyone got Pokemon?" he asked.

Misty shook her head. Drew reached in his pocket. "I have Roserade," he told him.

Suddenly, a noise emitted from the portal, and someone dropped through it. Instantly the three of them were on the offensive. Then Ash blinked. "Paul?" he said, confused.

Paul gasped and stared up at the ceiling. His eyes were wide and his chest was heaving with panic. Finally, he swallowed, and Drew helped him up. "What are you doing here!?" Drew demanded.

"I had a dream," Paul said, catching his breath. "About the... other... me."

"Already?" Drew cried.

Paul just looked up at Ash. "I know where he is."

Ash nodded and helped him up. "Where?"

"I don't know, I just..." Paul held his head as if it were aching. "I was dragged out of this room," he said, and he followed a trail the others couldn't see. "They made me stand up here," he said from the hallway. They rushed to catch up with him. "We walked all the way down," he continued, but he stopped walking, "all the way down the hall, and they took me to this… white room."

Ash pointed. "Down there?"

Paul nodded.

"Drew, what's down there?"

"I don't know, I've been on this floor like, once."

"You said white rooms?" Misty asked, and Paul nodded. "Ash, in order to perform a blanking, the room needed to be completely blank. We had to wear special suits to cover our heads."

"You think they're blanking him?" Ash exclaimed.

Misty grimaced. "That's what the white rooms were for."

Ash and Drew exchanged a panicked look. Suddenly Drew made to bolt, and Ash only caught him because he had seen it in his eyes. "We don't have weapons," Ash reminded him gruffly.

"I can fight," snapped Drew. He tried to pull away.

Ash yanked him back, roughly. "Don't be stupid, Drew, _listen _to me!" He looked at Paul. "Did you bring Pokemon?"

Paul nodded. "My whole team."

"Okay. We've seven Pokemon."

"His aren't trained for this," Misty pointed out.

Ash's brow furrowed in frustration. "Go check in there for guns," he ordered, pointing into L17.

Misty disappeared and returned with two handguns. "Probably from the Rockets," she said. "They're not Company issue." She handed one to Ash and held on to the other.

"What about me?" Paul squeaked.

"I got ya," Misty assured him.

Ash checked his gun. "I don't have many shots," he noticed grimly. He looked at Drew. "I'll go in first. Misty, you come behind me with Drew. Get everyone you can. And don't spare anyone." He made eye contact with each of them. "Understand?"

"Yes sir," Misty and Drew replied with a sharp nod. Paul's eyes widened.

"Can't I, um, go back through the—," he began, but he was cut off.

"That's Ketchum!" someone cried. A group of armed Rockets began running towards them.

"Shit," Ash muttered. "Misty!"

"Got it." She fired her shots one after another, easily taking out the two in the front. But the others jumped to the sides, slipping easily into the many rooms lining the hall. Misty immediately spun around and charged after Ash and the others. She heard their guns fire and ducked her head as she ran.

Two guards greeted them at the end of the hall. Ash grabbed one of their guns with one hand and elbowed the guard in the face. Drew handled the other, dodging two shots before easily bringing the man down. Paul kept ducking, narrowing avoiding being caught in the crossfire.

Misty skidded to a halt and faced the way she had come, on the defensive. "Paul!" Drew screamed, yanking the handle and pounding on the door. "_Paul!_" He raised one leg and kicked, hard. The door cracked in its frame. He kicked again and it gave in.

The room was so stunningly blank that it seemed to glow. They all winced at the brightness before pushing on in. "Paul!" Ash shouted. He looked around wildly for a moment before he saw him.

Drew ran up to him and fell to his knees. "Paul. Paul. Hey." He smacked his cheek lightly. "Hey, buddy, wake up."

It felt off, seeing Paul like this. The wounds that had cleared up weeks ago for them were still fresh on Paul. His clothing was bloodstained and torn. His hair was mottled, with bits of it singed. He lay limply against the wall, his legs and arms splayed while his head drooped onto his chest.

"Paul!" Drew snapped. "Don't you fucking die on me, it didn't work last time!" He grabbed Paul's shoulders and shook roughly. A breath left his lips, but there was no other response.

Drew gave a frustrated snarl. This was his best friend. Whom he was not prepared to lose. He angrily thrust his fingers against Paul's dirty pale neck and felt a pulse. He sighed in relief.

Before Ash could say anything, Drew had Paul hoisted onto his back. "Let's go," Drew said.

"Did they get to him?" demanded Misty. "He looks like they got to him."

"Who? Got what?" the other Paul exclaimed.

"Drew, he doesn't look so good," Ash cautioned.

"So what? We leave him?" He fixed Ash with a burning glare. When Ash crumpled, he smiled. "Didn't think so. Let's go!"

They rushed out of the white room and back into the hall. Footsteps could be heard coming up the stairwell. Ash heard Cynthia's voice and flinched.

"They'll find the portal!" Misty hissed.

Drew and Ash paled. Drew looked at Paul. "Paul, take Paul. Get yourselves back through that portal, _now,_ understand?" He dropped Paul on the smaller one's back. The younger boy's knees buckled. "Don't stop. Just go. Get to safety."

Paul nodded and took off. His running was staggered, unused to the weight and not strong enough to carry it properly.

"We still need to find my mom and everyone else," Ash reminded them.

Drew shifted his gaze to Ash. "I can distract them."

"How?" Misty cried.

"I have Roserade. Give me that gun. I'll make sure they don't find you or that portal."

Ash passed him the gun. "All right. Good luck." He and Misty made eye contact and somehow understood each other. They took off at a sprint, heading for the stairs.

"What are the odds the elevator still works?" Misty wondered as they bolted past it.

Ash screeched to a halt and tapped the button. Misty jogged back to him, about to chide him when unexpectedly the door opened.

"Huh," Misty said. She stepped inside. Ash followed her.

"At least there's no music," Ash pointed out.

Misty nodded as if she could agree. "We'll need a car," she said.

Ash grinned at her. "Leave that to me."

It suddenly seemed like the right moment to kiss her. They were standing there, alone. Her hair had come out of her ponytail and was swishing about her face. Her eyes were sparkling with adrenaline and there was a light flush in her cheeks. She had smudges of dirt on her hands and face and she was looking up at him, smirking. He ought to kiss her. It was the right time. He could feel it. He could—

The doors opened with a ding and Ash sighed. He was never good at these things.

"Come on, let's get going," Misty called as she scampered through the lobby, where the receptionist's body was still lying. He hurried over to the dead girl and found her keys easily. Back when he had been working under Paul, Ash had learned where everyone in the Company kept their keys (except Paul, of course). It was one of his training exercises. He snatched them off the desk ad joined Misty outside.

"Whose are those?" Misty inquired.

"Martha's," Ash replied. "And, um." He ducked his head and kissed Misty full on the lips, as best he could, grabbing a handful of her hair and making sure it was a _damn good kiss._

When he finally let go—and it took him a while—he was breathless. Misty was gazing up at him, a little surprised. "Done?" she asked, panting.

Ash nodded. "Yeah we can go now." He pushed the button on Martha's keychain and the car nearest the door light up. He laughed a little, still embarrassed from kissing her, and they both ran to the car and hopped inside, Misty in the driver's seat.

"All right, let's go get May's family," she said. She grabbed the keys from Ash and they sped off.

* * *

><p>Max should have been in bed, but instead he was on his computer. At three in the morning. On a school night. He would be grounded for sure if his mother found him. But his father still wasn't home. And neither was May. He knew his mother was in the living room downstairs, waiting for her daughter. May hadn't been answering her phone. Caroline was in a panic.<p>

Max wasn't too worried, though. Despite how un-May-like the whole ordeal was, he had a feeling she was safe.

Abruptly, he saw headlights. He peeked over his windowsill and watched an unfamiliar car pull into their driveway.

Uh oh. Police? No, the two getting out of the car didn't look like cops. Burglars then ? They weren't being very discreet. Cautiously, Max closed his laptop as the two strangers ran up to his front door.

And rang the doorbell? Max frowned. Yes, they were ringing the doorbell. Repeatedly. He crept out of his room and peered down the stairs. His mother was passing his line of vision, fixing her robe as she headed for the door.

"Do you have _any_ idea what time it—Misty?" his mother exclaimed.

"Hi, Ms. Maple." Max identified the voice as May's friend.

"What are you doing here?" asked Caroline. "Is everything all right? Who's this?"

"Ms. Maple, my name is Ash Ketchum," a new voice introduced as Max slowly made his way down the stairs. He peeked through the railing to see a tall man with black standing with his sister's friend. "I work with your husband."

Max could hear the frown in his mother's voice. "Is he all right?" she exclaimed. She looked at Misty. "Where's May?"

"Ms. Maple, it's very important that you listen to me," Ash said.

"We need to get you out of here," Misty added.

Caroline laughed. "What?"

"The people we work for could hurt you or your son in order to get to May."

"I'd rather wait for Norman, thank you." Caroline went to close the door.

Ash stopped her with his foot. "Norman is dead, Ms. Maple."

"This is a very sick, very mean joke," insisted Caroline. "I want nothing to do with it. Now get out of my house!"

"If you don't come with us, you will never see May again."

Caroline froze. "Have you… kidnapped my daughter?"

"No, we're keeping her safe. And we're trying to keep you safe!"

"From _who!?_" Caroline screamed.

Misty took a deep breath. "Look, Caroline, Norman was working with Ash, for the Company. And now our employers are very upset with all of us and they just might kill you and little Max, all right? So either come with us, or die!"

"You think you can scare me into believing you!"

"Mom," Max interrupted.

All eyes were suddenly on Max. On this twelve-year-old, pajama-wearing boy. He felt nervous. He swallowed. "Can I bring my computer?"

"Hurry," Ash said.

Max rushed upstairs, grabbed his laptop and charger, and came flying back to the door. He walked right past his mother and joined them.

"Max what on earth are you doing!?" cried Caroline.

"Mom, I think they're telling the truth," he told her.

"Get back here this _instant!_"

"No," Max said. He folded his arms like a child. "I think they're telling the truth. And I'm going with them."

Caroline blinked at him, her mouth hanging open. "You think that your father is dead?" she whispered.

Those words stabbed Max straight through the heart. He took a shaking breath and said, "Why else would he be late?"

Dawn's mother was much easier to convince. When told she would not be able to see Dawn again unless she came with them, she grabbed a sewing kit and a picture of her husband and got right in the car. She greeted the Maples with a smile.

Leaf's mother and father were incredibly stubborn. They didn't know Misty very well and took an immediate disliking to Ash. They "hmph"ed when told their lives were in danger, and were only convinced when Dawn's mother leaned out the window and yelled, "Christ, don't make me come get you!"

Apparently they had a bit of a fear of Mrs. Berlitz.

"Where is your house, Ash?" Misty inquired as she steered. She blatantly ignored the angry vibes emanating for the very cramped backseat.

"Take a right up here," Ash instructed. They sped down the near deserted street for a few minutes before Ash told her to pull over in an apartment complex. "Right, stay here. I'll be right back." He ejected from the car as if launched by springs and flew up the stairs.

When Ash reached his door, he was dismayed to find that he had no key. He pounded on the door. "Mom!?" he called.

The door opened almost instantly. His mother stared at him with sleepless eyes. "Ash?" she whispered. "Are you all right?"

Ash swallowed. "Mom, we have to leave."

"Is it your father?" she asked calmly.

"No. No it's Cynthia."

Delia nodded a few times. "All right," she said. "Let me get you some underwear."

"God, Mom," Ash said, exasperated, and Delia chuckled.

"Just kidding, sweetie." She smiled. "Do I need anything?"

"It's a one way trip to another dimension," he told her.

Delia pursed her lips, thinking. "Running shoes," she decided. Her tennis shoes were right by the door, and she stepped into them without undoing the ties. "Oh! Mom's ring." She hurried into her room and came back with four rings on her fingers.

"What are those?" Ash wondered.

"My mom's wedding ring, my grandmother's, and mine," she informed him. "And this one is from Louis."

Ash stared. "Who's Louis?"

Delia winked. "I'm not telling _you_, sweetie." Then she pushed past him.

Ash shuddered, turned off the apartment light, and followed his mother.

* * *

><p>"<em>Stop!<em>"

Misty slammed the brakes so abruptly that everyone in the car lurched forward dangerously. "What the hell is the matter with you?" she shrieked.

"Just wait here!" Ash was already out of the car and running into some building that looked abandoned.

"What is he doing?" Delia wondered.

The car sat there idling for thirteen minutes (Misty was counting) before Ash reappeared. He slid back into the car easily and grinned. "All right, let's go."

"What was that all about?" demanded Misty as they drove off.

"I just got us some help," Ash said with a smile.

"There's a car behind us," Max announced.

"Don't worry," said Ash. "They're friends of mine."

Misty peered into her side mirror and gasped. "There's like four cars!" she exclaimed.

"They're going to help us out," Ash responded. "Don't worry."

Misty was uneasy, but Ash outranked her, and despite everything that mentality was still there. So she listened.

* * *

><p>They stopped the car right in front of the lobby entrance. "Okay, everyone, get out and follow us. Stay with the group. <em>Do not<em> get lost. Understand?" Ash looked at them all in turn.

They all nodded.

"Right. Let's go." Ash and Misty hopped out of the car. Ash slipped into the lobby and made sure the coast was clear, while Misty held the door open and everyone filed in.

She was out there in time to see the four cars that had been tailing them screech to a halt. Almost a dozen people, mostly men, spilled out of each car. "All right folks!" one of them said. "Time to claim this building for the Evelyns!"

They gave an uproarious cheer. Misty paled. This was a gang. She slipped into the lobby and met up with Ash as they jogged for the elevator. "You brought a gang?" she exclaimed.

"They're a better distraction than Drew," he retorted.

"But how did you convince them?" Misty was dumbfounded, and maybe a little impressed.

Ash smirked as the elevator doors slid open. "I showed 'em my _skills,_ and told them all the money that could be made by taking this fine establishment."

Misty snickered and leaned up to kiss him. "You are very clever."

Abruptly they realized all eyes were on them. Misty stopped an inch from his lips and decided this could wait. Especially with Delia giggling at them.

As they neared the floor of L17, Ash and Misty tensed. The doors slid open and they cautiously poked their heads out. There was no gunfire. No hurrying feet. It was all eerily quiet.

Ash exchanged a worried look with Misty, but he beckoned everyone onwards nonetheless. They crept down the hall, completely unarmed. The nearer they drew to L17, the more dangerous their route became. Rubble littered the floor and unsteady cracks became more and more prominent.

"Where is Drew?" Misty whispered.

"I don't know," breathed Ash. And what about the Pauls? Did they make it? "Misty, L17 is right there. I want you to take everyone and get them through, okay?"

Misty looked at their troop. No one was arguing. It was as if they sensed the danger here, and with their children on the line, they were willing to listen. She turned her head back to him. "But Ash, you—."

"That's an _order,_ Gym Leader," Ash stated.

Misty straightened up. "I will not leave you defenseless, sir," she snapped quietly. "You have no Pokemon and no gun. You should at least have me."

"We can't send them through the portal alone!" Ash cried.

Misty looked at their charges and beckoned. Ash watched her lead them to L17, the most important room in the entire Company. They disappeared inside, and then Misty came back out, and closed the door. "They will wait until we come back," she informed him.

"You're so stubborn."

"Right back at ya." She winked. "Let's go get Drew."

* * *

><p>Ash and Misty crept silently around the corner, ears straining for any sort of noise. But the Company halls were eerily silent. No gunshots, no hurried footfalls, nothing. Not even the Evelyns.<p>

"Something's wrong," Ash muttered. "The gang should be making all sorts of noise."

"Do you think Drew went through?"

"No," Ash replied. "He wouldn't risk Cynthia finding it."

"What if they're on the roof?" whispered Misty. "Where the stadium is?"

Ash shook his head. He was leaning to look around the next corner when abruptly there was a gun pointed at his head.

Ash's first instinct was to break their hands. He grabbed their wrists and was about to twist when he realized who it was.

"Drew!" he exclaimed quietly.

"Oh," Drew said, and he sounded relieved. "You guys are back." He smiled.

Misty's eyes fell. "Holy shit, Drew, you—you're—."

Drew's eyes dropped to his chest. "Oh, yeah, um, someone shot me." He gave a weak laugh. "I played dead and I guess they bought it, because they left me there and went after Paul."

"They went after Paul?" Ash exclaimed. At the same time Misty cried, "Drew, that's in your freaking _chest!_"

"I think it's more in the shoulder, actually," Drew said. He sounded breathless. "And yeah, I think other Paul is smarter than we thought. He realized he was being chased and led them away from the portal."

"You sure he didn't just panic," Misty deadpanned.

"Have some faith in the kid," argued Drew.

"Where are they?" Ash demanded.

"Roof," Drew replied.

Misty took the opportunity to flick Ash's ear. "See? I was right!"

Ash just rolled his eyes. "Let's go," he ordered.

* * *

><p>The three of them paused in the stairwell. The door had been left open. They could see Cynthia standing coolly in the center of the stadium, a gun in her hand. They could not see either Paul from here.<p>

Ash looked back. "Where's Roserade?"

"Right here," Drew assured him, touching his pocket.

"So we have one Pokemon, and one gun, right?" Ash listed, and the other two nodded. He took a deep breath. "All right then. Here we go." He raised his voice as he stepped into her line of sight. "Cynthia!" he called.

The Sinnoh Champion smirked. "We've been waiting for you, Ash."

Now that Ash was on the same level as her, he could see both Pauls lying at her feet. But they did not have holes in their heads. It looked like they were alive.

"Where's Gary?" she called. "I wanted the full band."

"You'll have to do without him," Ash replied.

Cynthia made a show of squinting. "Are you… _unarmed?_" She sounded delighted. "You keep surprising me, Ketchum!" She toed one of the Pauls with her boot. "Although this is your best one yet. I mean, _two?_ Really, that's more fun than allowed!" She leaned to look around him. "Oh, and _Drew._ My, you boys just don't _die,_ do you?"

The Company workers were scattered about the stadium, most of them armed with guns. There didn't seem to be much order to it, but these were all trained professionals, and they outnumbered them.

"How did you get back through?" Cynthia asked.

"Like we'd tell you!" Misty snapped.

Cynthia's eyes narrowed. "This world is about to collapse into _war._ All because of _you,_ Ash! You and your team that failed. And you have the portal, which can save us! Pokemon can save us!" She raised the gun. "And if you're going to keep that from me, I believe that's treason."

"It won't work, Cynthia," Ash retorted. "Pokemon don't belong here. This world can't handle that kind of power! We'd only kill each other."

Cynthia rolled her eyes and fired her gun. The three of them ducked and the bullet missed. "We're going to kill each other now, Ash, unless you give me what I want."

Abruptly there was gunfire. Cynthia frowned. "What was that?" she demanded.

Ash shrugged. Drew and Misty copied him.

Cynthia looked around at her men. "Well don't just stand there, go fix it!" she ordered.

Two of the Company men nodded at each other. They pushed past Ash and descended down the stairs.

The gunfire continued, but Cynthia ignored it. "Give me the portal, Ash," Cynthia reiterated slowly. She jerked her head. Two more Company cronies jogged over to her and aimed their guns at both Pauls. "Now."

Ash shook his head. "No."

Cynthia pursed her lips and resolutely folded her arms. "Well if that's the way you want to play it. Tell me, at least," she began, "before I kill them… how _did _you get two Shinjis?"

Ash blinked. She didn't know? The reports he and Misty had written their first time through had explained the phenomenon. Ash hadn't remembered it before. His memory was still full of holes. But he knew—he _knew_ that in the reports he had described the other Gym Leaders. Their parallel selves. Two of everyone. They had remodeled the whole Company after the Pokemon world.

Surely Cynthia knew!

Then Ash had an epiphany. Cynthia _didn't_ know. She never read the reports. She hadn't been Champion when the reports were made and as such never was shown the information. _She did not read the reports._

And suddenly he knew they could win.

"You're wrong, Cynthia."

Cynthia's eyes became slits. "What."

"You don't know what you're talking about," he elaborated. Downstairs, he heard the shouts of the Evelyns. If he could just stall her long enough for them to come to his aid, they would be victorious. "Do you have any idea how many Pokemon there are? How many _kinds?_ They wouldn't help us! We can only control them now because there's so few of them. But if we let them all through, they'd _destroy _us."

"They're animals," she snapped. Insisted. Pleaded.

Ash gave a small smile. "Have you ever _seen_ a Legendary Pokemon?" he inquired as he stepped towards her. "Big as the sky. Many of them can speak, Cynthia. They're more human than animal."

She laughed weakly. "Impossible," she scoffed. But she didn't sound convinced.

"It's true," Misty said suddenly, stepping forward to join Ash. "You couldn't hope to control them. Over there, they are gods."

"How about we take you through?" Drew murmured. He held his wound and staggered up to them. "How about we show you that world. It would terrify you, Cynthia. You would see that world and beg us to bring you back here."

More gunfire. It was terribly loud. Ash hoped they hadn't opened L17.

"You have no idea, Cynthia," Ash continued. He knew they had her. The remaining Company workers held their guns with a slight uncertainty. Their postures slackened. They watched Cynthia for instruction.

Cynthia suddenly swung her gun down so that it was aimed at Paul's head. "_Give me the portal or I'll kill him!_" she screamed. This was the signal the Company men had been waiting for. They straightened and confidently clicked their guns.

Ash was not stupid. The only reason Paul was alive was because Cynthia thought she could use him to get something out of them. He barely paused. "I give you the portal and everyone dies," he snapped.

"One life is worth that," Drew added haltingly. It pained him to use Paul as bait. Hopefully Cynthia wouldn't pick up on it.

Cynthia's eyes tightened. Her scowl went from Ash to Misty to Drew, searching for any sign of weakness. Her hand did not shake, holding her gun. She kept it firmly aimed at Paul's head. Her henchmen copied her, the barrels of their large guns resting on the skulls of each Paul.

Shouts could be heard from below. Footsteps stomping up the stairs. Ash swallowed. Any moment now. He had to keep Cynthia at bay.

"Of course," he said lightly, regaining her attention, "I heard that the Enigma Stone is—."

There was a crashing noise. The flinch on Cynthia's face was enough to get the three of them to drop to the ground. Both Company workers lifted their guns to be on the defensive. Abruptly, Cynthia was on the ground, guns went off, and both Company men fell with her.

"Hey look!" Ash heard the Evelyn leader exclaim with glee. "It's our pal Purple!"

Blinking, Ash lifted his head.

Paul was on his feet, with one foot on top of Cynthia. He looked at the Evelyns and then at Ash. "What did you do," he said dangerously.

Ash grinned. Suddenly it was like he was a rookie again. "I improvised!" he said happily.

Paul glanced at the bodies of the Company workers, people he had probably known for several years. He shrugged. His gaze turned to his twin. "What the hell is that?"

Other Paul glanced up and tentatively got to his feet. He looked at his other self and gulped.

Ash grimaced. Rather than deal with that, he turned and faced the Evelyn leader. "Thank you for your help," he said sincerely.

"It's a good building," the leader noted. "Lots of techy shit. It's strange it's not more guarded."

"In a few hours it will be," warned Ash. "Get as much as you can and get out of here. Do _not_ take any of the little red and white balls, or any variation of them. Okay? If anything will get you killed, it's those."

The leader gave a little shrug. "Sure." He turned to his troops. "Take whatever you want!" he called.

Misty smiled painfully at them all and hurried through the door. They couldn't trust the gang with this. She knew where most of the pokeballs were and would ensure their safety.

Uncertain, Ash turned back to the Pauls. He scratched at the back of his head and looked down at Cynthia, who was not moving. "Is she dead?" he asked, astounded.

"No. Her head hit the ground when I pulled her feet out from under her," Paul stated. He sneered. "She's alive." He gestured to his other self. "So what is this?"

Ash hesitated. "Well, um—."

Drew interrupted. "He's the you from the Pokemon world. Congratulations." His tone was mocking, but his smile was genuine.

Ash nodded. "And now we're getting him back there. Come on, let's go." He grabbed Other Paul and dragged him to the door.

The four of them ran to L17, highly aware of the raiding gang members around them. They could hear things breaking, hear the whoops and laughs of all of them.

As they approached the most important room in the entire building, Ash saw the door was open. His stomach dropped and he sprinted forward, swinging into the room to see—

Nothing.

Ash peered inside cautiously. There was no glowing portal. No family members. Just the wreckage from the battles not twelve hours ago.

Drew, Paul, and Other Paul appeared behind him. Other Paul gasped. "Where is it?" he demanded, his voice barely above a whisper.

Misty came running up to them. She held a red pull-string bag, the kind the Company issued to their newest members (probably Candice's idea). "I've got the—." She stopped. "Guys?" she said uncertainly.

Ash caught her eye. They both understood. The portal was gone. Delia was gone. _All_ of them were gone. And they were stuck here.

"Ash?" someone called. "That's you, isn't it?"

It was a like a huge weight had been lifted from his chest. Ash's mother poked her head out from the hole in the wall leading outside, where the sky was beginning to pinken with dawn.

"What are you doing out there!?" Ash exclaimed, rushing to help his mother step back inside.

She took his hand and dropped onto the floor. "We heard the gunfire, and Max thought we should hide. So we covered the portal with that sheet and stood on the ledge outside."

Ash beamed. "I love you, Mom," he said.

Delia winked and touched his nose. "I love you too." She turned around and helped Mrs. Maple inside. Paul came forward and took Mrs. Berlitz by the hand. Misty pulled the dirty white sheet off the portal and grinned when the swirling black pool was still there.

Ash looked at them all, lined up and waiting for him. A few of them leered at the portal uncertainly. He had to move quickly. Drew was bleeding out. They had to leave.

"We're going in there," he announced, pointing at the black abyss behind him. "Your children are on the other side. Waiting for you. They have been through hell and they need you there with them. You cannot stay here. I hate to say it but your kids got mixed up with the wrong people—well, they got mixed up with me. And now, in this world, they have real enemies, real people that _will_ kill them or you.

"This world," Ash continued, pointing at the portal, "is nothing like ours. It's better in every way. You won't believe your eyes." He stepped to the side, leaving them all to face the portal. "I hope you're ready."

"Dawn is over there?" Johanna asked, pointing.

Misty nodded. "Yes."

Mrs. Berlitz nodded once to herself. She made sure she had a good hold on her bag before bravely stepping forward. She did not jump in. She closed her eyes and stepped through.

Leaf's mother gasped.

Ash was astounded. He hadn't expected her to be that strong.

"Paul, you're next," Misty said, jerking her head. "Both of you. You have a certain girl to deal with."

Paul hesitated. Other Paul pursed his lips and forced a scowl. "It's his problem, actually," he snapped.

Misty frowned. "What?"

"Who wants to deal with a troublesome girl like that?" Other Paul went on.

Paul was wide eyed. For once, he was dumbstruck. But he obediently followed Other Paul through the portal, and they both disappeared.

Max took his mother's hand and gingerly walked her up the steps. Caroline was shaking. So was Max. But they stood before the pool and at the count of three, they jumped.

Delia smiled warmly and Leaf's parents. "Aren't you coming?" she asked pleasantly.

"This is madness!" her father exclaimed. "You've sent them to their deaths!"

"Leaf can't be there," quibbled her mother. "Not our Leaf."

Delia's shoulders dropped sadly. "I'm sorry you feel that way," she said. She looked at Ash. "I'll be waiting for you," she told him. "Drew, come on, you look like you need help."

Drew gave a weak smile. "Only for you, Mrs. K," he joked. She reached out her hand and he took it, and they stepped through the portal together.

Ash sighed in relief. He looked to Leaf's parents. "Your turn," he instructed.

Leaf's father fixed Ash with a cold stare. "You first."

"If we go through the portal closes," Misty informed him. "It ends with us."

"We can't leave it open waiting for you to jump through," Ash added.

Leaf's mother trembled. "Honey," she whispered, "our baby…"

"You guys _know_ me," Misty reminded them. "I'm Misty! I slept over at your house. You guys took me to your cabin last year! Trust me when I say that Leaf is over there. And the only way you'll see her again is if you go through."

The woman took her husband's hand. "Dear, please!" she begged.

Still, he refused.

Angrily she dropped his hand and bolted. "Emma!" her husband screamed.

She froze just before the portal.

Her husband crept forward gently, arms out. "Emma, please, don't do this, come back with me!" he insisted.

"I won't," she whispered. She inched closer to the portal.

Leaf's father took a few quick steps and stopped just in front of her. "Emma—."

But Leaf's mother interrupted him. She latched on to his am arm and gave an almighty yank. They tumbled into the portal together, both screaming as they went.

Ash and Misty stared in shock at the portal, where the two had just disappeared. "I can't believe it," Misty whispered.

Ash blinked and came back to himself. "Well, I'm glad they did it." He straightened up. "Just us now."

Misty nodded. "Yeah. Just us."

"This is the last we'll ever see of this world."

The redhead laughed. "Not much to see, honestly." She pointed. "Look, there's the bar I bashed in heads with, remember?"

"And that's the hole I pushed Alex into," Ash noted.

Misty's smile became more somber. "We've done more than that here, in this room."

Ash pursed his lips and nodded. "I went through the portal for the first time," he remembered. "After they shipped me all the way from Kanto."

"They assigned me as your partner," recalled Misty.

"You saved me from a flock of Spearow."

"I started thinking you were cute."

They went quiet, and for a while they simply looked at each other.

"If you think about it," Misty said quietly, "this was never our world. That was. Over there."

Ash considered this. "Yeah," he eventually said. "Yeah, I think you're right." Then he beamed and held out his hand. "Are you ready then?" he asked quietly.

Misty took it gently. "Ready."

And together, they stepped into their world.

_The End_

**AN: oh my God fiiiinalllyy it's over jeez I am so glad this is done. I hope you find this a good ending. I tried to get everything just the way I wanted and ugh it was haaard. But I think I got it. **

**THANK YOU TIMES INFINITY FOR READING THIS ALL THE WAY THROUGH. You are the strong and the determined. Thank you for everything. I love you all so so so much. **

**I will never write anything this long for Pokemon again, I think. I have lots of fluffy/dark ikari related things in storage but that is all. I have moved more to Merlin, so you can read that one if you like. But again, thank you all. I would never have finished this without you. As always, typos are extra credit! Goodbye!***


	26. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

_In order to adjust to this new world, Professor Oak suggested they all keep journals. These are excerpts from some of them. _

* * *

><p>I like it here. It's much better than where we came from. Here is a world where I am not a murderer. Where I didn't kill a man named Logan Berlitz. Here I am a Trainer, and a good one.<p>

I can almost forget about that life. I've only been here a few weeks but it feels like I have always been here. I never used to like going outside. Now that is all I do.

The 'other Paul,' as I call him, is quite a marvel. He wants to become a Pokemon Master. I like him. He's ambitious. He's not very strong yet, but he's getting there. He's younger and has not endured the kind of sadness I have. I was uncomfortable around him at first, but now I realize how well we get along.

And then there's Dawn. I know she told her mother what I did. Johanna avoids me, and when she can't, she just radiates anger. And she should. I killed her husband. But it seems that this world's Johanna married Ash's father. So Ms. Ketchum and Johanna are very confused by this.

But Dawn… Dawn is lovely. I thought she was annoying and now I find her endearing. I love her hair. I love it when she ties it back and I can see her cheekbones. But she doesn't know that.

I don't feel bitter anymore. I feel guilty. There is no way I can be around her. I did unforgivable things to Dawn's family. Her love for me is misguided and my feelings for her are perverse.

I want her to reject me. To realize how terrible I am and send me away. Because I would go away. But she just keeps smiling at me. Talking to me. Touching me. I wish she would just hate me.

She never will, though. It's up to me to do what's right. And I don't think I am strong enough anymore. I want things that I don't deserve. I used to be so strong, so stubborn. And now I find myself caving. And I don't know what to do.

* * *

><p>You know, I used to be really scared of this world. I didn't understand it. It seemed like the only pass time here was fighting Pokemon! Ash gave me Torchic, and I didn't want to hurt her! She just always seemed so little and cute to me. I didn't like it.<p>

But then I found out what Coordinating was. Dawn showed me. She was always really creative, and did stuff like sew dresses and make scrapbooks with her mom. But I tried it out and I really like it! Torchic likes it too. I'm going to ask Dawn to show me how to make clothes so I can sew little dresses for Torchic. I've been watching lots of videos online and it's really incredible. These Pokemon are so beautiful. And they look so happy.

Having Mom and Max here is really helpful. Max is so happy to have all this new nerdy stuff to read. Mom was scared at first, and I think because she was scared, I wasn't so scared. She's doing all right now. I had to tell her about Dad, though. We cried together.

We are living in a city called Cerulean, because all of us decided to live here. But Coordinating competitions don't happen here often. I'm hoping Drew will take me to Celadon. Maybe even the Sinnoh region, if I do well.

Oh, Drew and Roserade like Coordinating too. He likes to give me roses after I've been practicing. It's very sweet.

I miss working on cars, though. I even kind of miss school. But you know what? I think I'm doing okay.

* * *

><p>My parents were <em>not<em> happy when they saw me.

Like, after they got over the fact that they had just dropped through space and landed next to a giant dragon thing. Luckily we were just stopping by to check when they fell through, so they didn't have to be alone.

But yeah. Mom doesn't like my new look. My dad just averted his eyes. They also didn't like me and Gary. I wasn't being public, but I _did_ make it a little obvious that we were together. Really they're just angry at me about everything.

But I love this world. Pokemon are amazing. I've caught a whole team now. I train them every day. I train with them, too, because it's not fair for me to make them go through hard work and not do it too. But they're so strong. My Squirtle just evolved. And Professor Oak gave me an Eevee! I think Dawn is jealous.

I feel like I was meant to be here. Back home I felt awkward and out of place. Here I feel alive. Training just comes naturally to me. I never want to go back .That was never home. _This_ is home. This is where I belong.

* * *

><p>How do I feel about living here… well, it's nice have a grandpa that actually cares about me. And having Daisy back. That's amazing. I thought that they wouldn't feel like my real family, but to them, <em>I'm<em> real family. And it was surprisingly easy to accept these doppelgangers as true people.

Grandpa is everything I ever wanted him to be. He's kind and smart and silly and he knows so much about this world. He doesn't mind my questions. He'll tell me anything I want to know. And Daisy just babies me. She demands I spend time with her every day and she likes to fix the buttons on my shirts and offers to cook me food all the time. It's weird, but I love her. It's Daisy, after all.

Right now, we're in Cerulean while everyone adjusts, but I think I want to go back to Pallet Town with them and study in his lab. But I won't be his grandson. I'll have to be his nephew or something. Might draw too much attention.

I have a few more Pokemon now. I think, a few years ago, I would have loved to try for the League. But I know my passion now. I want to know as much about this world as I possibly can.

Leaf is happy. I think she wants to move the relationship up a notch. Since everything has died down she has been getting more… physical. Which is great! Really! But… I don't know if she wants me to encourage her or what. I've been taking her out more often. But she likes to train. Maybe I should buy her something.

Anyway. It's a great life over here. I've been watching Paul, though. He's been brooding. I'm going to have Drew talk to him.

* * *

><p>Did you know that in this world, if you don't go to school, <em>that's fine?<em> If I don't go to college I can still get a decent job! Hell, I didn't even have to do high school over here!

I've been reading up on Pokemon though. I mean, they don't have to require school here because Pokemon are just that incredible. Everyone wants to learn about them. Roserade is awesome, but I want another Pokemon. I caught a Butterfree, which are native here according to Ash. But I think I want an Absol. Steven told me about them before he left for Hoenn. If Paul lightens up I'll take him to Hoenn or Sinnoh and we can explore a cave and look for one.

Speaking of Paul, I think he's having problems. He doesn't talk as much as he used to, which I guess means he's not talking at all. He goes on a lot of walks with his Pokemon.

I think he's feeling guilty about Dawn. And it sucks, because Paul is my best friend. He's done some terrible things, but he's still a good guy! He deserves to be happy. And I think he's realized Dawn can give him that. But he won't take it. He's too mad at himself. I'm wondering, if he goes and visits his brother, will it do anything? I'm going to ask Other Paul to take him. I think it'd be good for him.

May is doing a lot better. I didn't have trouble with the change, but I know she did. I want to get a car, but I don't have any money yet. I think a car would make her happy. But having her family here is helping a lot. She likes Coordinating. I never considered it, but I entered an amateur contest here in Cerulean and it was actually a lot of fun. I can do Battling on the side, maybe, but Coordinating will help me stay with her and make sure she's doing all right.

Her mom likes me. Max asked me a lot of questions about my hair. He wanted to know how it naturally got this color. He should pester Dawn, in my opinion.

So, to wrap this up, Pokemon are cool, this world is fantastic, and I'm never leaving. Drew out.

* * *

><p>Zoey's death is a lot fresher for me than for everybody else. They all had their time to mourn her. I haven't yet.<p>

I didn't know her very well, but I miss her. She was someone worth knowing. But the Legendaries needed her. I don't what about her made it that way, but I think it was a good death. Noble and stuff. I hope it wasn't painful. She deserved something better.

I think Dawn is doing Coordinating because she found out Zoey did it. I can't help feeling like it's my fault she's dead. I brought her along after we battled on the ship. I shouldn't have. If only I'd had my memories then. I could have saved her.

I took the spot at the Gym. I've assumed the life of Misty Waterflower. It was Ash's idea. Someone high profile and well respected like Leader Misty keeps us from being looked at too closely.

The hardest part is my sisters. I didn't have real sisters back home, but these girls are real. They cried when they saw me. I had to make up a cover story for them and the press and then explain to them that all these people they had never seen before were going to be living in the Gym for awhile. But my sisters didn't stick around long. They're performers, and once they were sure I was okay they had to get back on the road. So I guess they didn't mind everyone too much.

I really love this world, though. And I love Ash. I can't believe how happy we are. We argue four times a day and can't stand the sight of each other sometimes, but it's perfect. Delia is wonderful. She adjusted so well. I think she's just happy to have Ash.

So… yeah. I'm doing all right.

* * *

><p>My mom is so strong. I'm so proud of her. I heard from Misty that when she heard she would never see me again if she didn't go with them, she just picked up her sewing kit and a picture of Dad and walked out the door. She doesn't seem to mind this world. She loves Piplup and has been making her dresses nonstop. She was happy to see Alex again, but I don't think Dad is alive here either. The way the two of them spoke to each other… and Mom's face… I just felt really bad.<p>

But Paul is back. My Paul. I know which one is mine now. He won't talk to me, but it's not like before. I can catch him staring at me, but he never wants to make eye contact. I've been doing everything I can to get his attention, and it's like… it's like he _is_ paying attention to me, but he doesn't want me to know that.

I think he's hurting because of all that he's done. But I forgave him awhile ago. I wish he could understand that. I wish he could forgive himself.

* * *

><p>This place is perfect. Everyone I love is safe. There is no impending danger. Pikachu is curled up, asleep by my leg. My mom is happy. Misty is happy. No one is trying to kill us.<p>

I can't remember the last time I felt like this.

I feel…

Bored.

Seriously. I'm kinda bored. I'm used to action and adventure and fierce battles and gunfire! This isn't like the first time I came here, where everything was potentially going to kill me. This is dull. I haven't done more than get a bowl from the top cupboard in the kitchen. This is terrible! I'm getting cabin fever or something!

So yeah. This kinda sucks.

That's why I'm going to try for the Pokemon League.

Yeah, I know, why don't you take a break, Ash?

I just can't, all right? I have to do something. It's like I'm going through adrenaline withdrawals. So I'm going to get together a whole team, six Pokemon, and I'm going to hit every Gym across the region. And then, when we're strong enough, I'll take on the League. I'll fight Champion Lance for the title.

And you know what? If I lose, fine. I'll start over! I'll get a whole new team. I can leave my Pokemon with Professor Oak to watch over and I'll travel to the next region and do it all again! I'll fight every League I can. I know there's some military duties attached to being Champion, but I'm a soldier. I'm not a very _good_ soldier, but it's true. I'm going to conquer a whole region.

I'm going to leave tomorrow. I didn't tell anyone yet. Nobody knows except Pikachu.

Misty already trekked all over this region with me. So tonight, I'm going to ask her to do it again.

I hope she says yes.

***AN: Now I'm really glad I did this. Thank you, guys. And this is goodbye.***


End file.
